Dennis Gregory McDermott - Austin
AUSTIN — Dennis Gregory McDermott, 18 of Austin, died from fatal injuries sustained from an ATV accident on Sunday, July 4th, 2010.
Dennis was born May 17th, 1992, in Rochester to James and Caron (Jagodzinski) McDermott.
Dennis' exuberance for life was infectious. He never saw a camera or a microphone he didn't like. The ultimate ham, his winning personality and bright smile brought a lift to everyone he dealt with. A teaser extraordinaire, he could move a roomful of people to a state of enjoyment and laughter, especially those in the stands at his wrestling meets and bowling matches.
Dennis followed his older brother Jimmy into the Austin Youth Wrestling program in early grade school. During those years he led the high school team onto the mat for their home wrestling meets, usually in his 3-piece suit. For the last three years he was a member of the Austin High School Wrestling Team, actually winning one match on his own. He made Tough Club two years in a row and received four Wrestler of the Week awards. His unweighted GPA of 3.6 resulted in him receiving a Wrestler Academic Excellence Award. Since 7th grade, Dennis bowled for the Adaptive Bowling Team. Altogether Dennis lettered seven times: two for wrestling and five for bowling. He received two Citizenship Awards due to his depthy understanding of people and his great ability to give. He also won a seat on the Student Council during the Southgate years.
His favorite activity was going with his wing man/mentor, Sean Miland of REM. He had a special love for Sean and Sean's family, where he was know as "Uncle Dennis." He enjoyed watching the Dukes of Hazzard, Lethal Weapon, and WWE, during which he acted out all the parts, memorizing the dialogue. His choice for music was Akon, and the Now compilations. He was a loyal KROC listener in the car, never allowing it to be turned to something else. Other favorite tunes were "Born to Be Wild" and the second Steppenwolf album. He always did what he enjoyed and was thrilled about. There was never any down time with Dennis. He inspired us to let go of the small irritations of life with constant reminders to "Relaax."
Dennis is survived by his parents, James McDermott and Caron Jagodzinski; his two big brothers, Jimmy of La Crosse, Wis., and Zach (Jenny) of Foster City, Calif.; his grandparents, James and Joyce Jagodzinski; aunts, uncles, many cousins, and many friends whose lives he touched with his sparkle. He was preceded in death by his grandparents James and Joyce McDermott; and his step-grandmother, Mary (Majerus) McDermott.
A celebration of Dennis' life will be held at St. Edward's Corcoran Center at 1 p.m. Sunday, July 11th, 2010. Please bring your favorite story about Dennis to share.