A very special and loving man has left us way too soon. It is with great sadness that the family of Dennis "Nips" Knepel announces his passing on Friday, November 10, 2017, at the age of 62. After a hard fought and resilient two year battle with cancer, Dennis passed peacefully at Froedtert Hospital, supported and surrounded by the love of his family.

Dennis will forever be the beloved husband and best friend to Anita, the loving dad of Kristin (Aaron) Barrett and Laura Knepel, and the proud Papa of Haddie and Clara Barrett.

Dennis is further survived by his sister Carol (Dave) Scheuermann, sister-in-law Jill Knepel, and many loving family members and friends. Preceded in death by his parents Harold and Ann Knepel and brother Larry Knepel.

All of the family pets that Dennis loved, played with, and occasionally had to train will miss Dennis also. They include his little fur babies Nona and Nala, granddoggy Catcher, and the grandkitties Keebler and Riff Raff.

Dennis was most recently employed by Applied Industrial Technologies as a Customer Sales & Service Representative. He loved to spend his time with friends playing tennis, badminton, and cards. He enjoyed tinkering around his home on projects and making his famous ribs on the grill for the whole family to enjoy. He will always be remembered for his delicious deviled eggs and award winning chili. Dennis loved fishing on the smaller lakes around his home and being the "worm man" for his sidekick Anita. More than anything, he loved and looked forward to spending time with his family-especially visits with his granddaughters.

Thank you to all that supported Dennis and his family during his battle with cancer. A special acknowledgement to his cancer team at Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin, Dr. Menon, Dr. Bovi and Dr. Gore. An even bigger thank you to the Doctors, Nurses, Aides, Therapists and even the cleaning crew of Froedtert's 7CFAC. Your care for Dennis allowed us valuable family time together and meaningful visits that we will cherish forever.

We could have never completed this journey without the love and support of our family and friends. The emails, cards, calls, and best of all hugs kept us going. We can honestly say that Dennis passed away in peace knowing how much he is loved and that his family will have a great deal of support. We have been blessed by your continued loving care and concern for all of us.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, November 19, 2017 starting at noon at the Seven Seas Restaurant (1807 Nagawicka Rd. Hartland, WI). A service will be held at 1:00 PM with lunch to follow. The family is requesting in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Madison Cat Project (madisoncatproject.org) or to a cause dear to your heart.