Dennis R. Sluga of Eau Claire, WI passed away peacefully on Friday, April 10, 2015 at Sacred Heart Hospital.
Denny was born on January 20, 1945 in Whitehall, WI to Elizabeth Williamson and Ralph Sluga. He graduated from Memorial High School in 1963. He continued his education at Dunwoody Institute in Minneapolis, MN with an Associate’s Degree in Drafting.
Dennis is survived by his mother, Elizabeth (Sluga) Johnson; his sister, Elaine (Tim) Sample; his nieces, Elizabeth (Warren) Brooks, Karen Sample (Tim Mangan) and Christina Sample (David Sharlin); his great nieces and nephews; his aunt Betty (Bob) Knudtson; and uncle Gerald (Janet) Sluga; and many cousins.
Dennis is preceded in death by his father, Ralph Rufus Sluga, who was killed in the Battle of the Bulge five days before his birth; his sister, Eileen Helen Johnson; and his step-father, Harold Johnson.
Denny was a creative person with a curious mind, and kept himself busy by learning new skills and sharing his creations with family and friends. Most recently he was turning wood on a lathe for crafting writing pens and custom fishing rods. His other passion was fishing and picking blackcaps when the fish weren’t biting.
Memorial services will be on Wednesday, April 15, 2015 at 1:00 pm at Smith Funeral Chapel with Pastor A. Hamilton officiating. Visitation will be an hour prior to the services on Wednesday. Burial will be at Forest Hill Cemetery following the services.
I am so sorry to here of Denny’s passing. We had never met personally. I only knew him through the internet, in that I had bought many of his wooden fly rod handles. I would use these to refabricate older bamboo fly rods, one of which I recently donated to a trout-fishing tournament that benefitted the American Heart Association. It was one of the most sought after attendance prizes. One person even purchased $100 in extra tickets just trying to win the rod made with one Denny’s handles. It was his handle that made that rod special. If by chance someone still has any of Denny’s remaining handles I would be proud to purchase what might still be available.
John G. Einspanier
St. Louis, Missouri
314-487-7238