Dennis E. McGuire’s family remembered him as “a man with a gentle soul and a huge heart,” adding that “he always had a smile on his face” and “had the greatest sense of humor.”
A “dedicated son, brother, uncle, husband, father, and friend,” Mr. McGuire died at the Kanas Center for Hospice Care in Quiogue on Nov. 14. He was 58 and had metastatic cancer.
Mr. McGuire was a landscaper for his brother’s business, Mike’s Landscaping in East Hampton, and outside of work he enjoyed kayaking and gardening. He had built several koi ponds for himself and his family and liked to see “how others enjoyed their beauty,” his family said.
Known to go clamming, crabbing, and fishing, “for every family get-together, Den would be the one to provide fresh clams for the grill. All one needed to do was say, ‘Den, we need clams!’ ”
“Family was the most important thing to him and he always prioritized family in his life.” He and his father would golf together and take leisurely drives UpIsland to go shopping. “Every day until he fell ill, Dennis would begin his day with a visit to his mother’s for a cup of coffee and a muffin, sharing chitchat and reading the daily paper,” his family wrote.
Family vacations would take him to Florida, where he played mini golf, shopped at flea markets, and visited amusement parks.
Mr. McGuire was born in Southampton on Oct. 9, 1967, to William McGuire Jr. and the former Myrna Bono. He grew up in Springs, attending the Springs School and East Hampton High School, as well as the Board of Cooperative Educational Services program in Westhampton Beach. He lived in East Hampton and Springs his entire life.
“Dennis had an incredible memory; he never forgot a name, face, or a story,” his family said. “Talking about the old days with Den could not be beat; there was no end to the laughter created while reminiscing.”
He usually had a dog by his side, “and his latest best friend, Chief, could always be found riding along in the truck as his co-pilot.”
Mr. McGuire and Caledonia Camillo were married on March 1, 2012. She survives, as do her adult children, Thila and Raam Subramuniam of Queens.
Also surviving are his mother, Myrna McGuire of East Hampton, and four siblings, Linda Blowe, Michael McGuire, Anthony McGuire, and Tom Bono, all of East Hampton, many nieces and nephews, and “his devoted first cousin,” Marianne Forbell. His father died before him.
A service was held on Nov. 19, with the Rev. Dr. Connie Jones officiating. Mr. McGuire was buried at Cedar Lawn Cemetery in East Hampton.
His family has suggested contributions to East End Hospice, P.O. Box 1048, Westhampton Beach 11978.
