Obituary of Dennis Laverne Gustafson

Dennis Laverne Gustafson, age 69, of Las Vegas, passed away Sunday, September 18, 2016. Dennis was born May 3, 1947 in Ludington, MI to the late Frank and the late Ellen (Carlson) Gustafson. Dennis enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, where he proudly served as a crew chief and gunner in Huey helicopters as part of VMO-3/HML-367 (aka Scarface) from November 30, 1965 through August 29, 1969. Sargent Gustafson competed one tour of duty in Phu Bai, South Vietnam from December 1967 through December 1968 and earned a number of awards, including the Distinguished Flying Cross for meritorious service during the Tet Offensive, March 29, 1968, Presidential Unit Citation awarded to VMO-3 for actions during The Tet Offensive, 1968, 19 Air Medals and a Combat Air Crewman Insignia. On August 23, 1969 Dennis married Janet Louise Hastings. Dennis earned a Bachelor of Science in Geology, from California State University Long Beach and 30 hours toward a Master of Science in Geology at the University of Southern California. He worked as an oil and gas exploration geologist with Pacific Lighting in Los Angeles CA (1974-1981) and Diamond Shamrock, Simasko and NICOR of Denver CO (1981-1991). He ended his career as an environmental geologist and senior engineer at the Nevada National Security Site, formerly known as the Nevada Test Site, working for Raytheon(1991-1996), Bechtel Nevada (1996-2006) and National Security Technologies (2006-retired Dec. 2012). Dennis was avid about staying in shape. After he retired, he took up long-distance cycling, which became one of his favorite hobbies. He especially "loved" his Cannondale EVO road bike with electronic gear shifter. In addition to cycling, Dennis enjoyed hiking and working out at the gym. He also enjoyed target shooting, and had a large gun collection, which he was very proud of. One of his favorite father-daughter hobbies was going to the target range whenever Cheryl was home visiting. He was also an accomplished winemaker. Friends and neighbors could always count on Dennis to give them one of the bottles of wine he made with friends at a local wine school. Dennis always looked forward to attending the bi-annual reunions of the USMC/Combat Helicopter and Tiltrotor Association (aka, Pop-A-Smoke). He especially loved spending time with his wife and daughter, as well as their dogs. Those who knew Dennis personally knew him as a kind, generous, outgoing, gentleman who always wanted to help others. Additionally, he was known for his goofy sense of humor and infectious smile. Dennis was a devoted husband for 47 years to his wife Jan and a wonderful father to their daughter, Cheryl. Dennis is survived by his wife Janet Gustafson of Las Vegas NV; daughter Cheryl Janene Gustafson, MD, and grand puppies Mindi and Bella of Carmel IN; siblings Larry Gustafson and Marilyn Lilleberg of Ludington MI; and mother-in-law Marjorie Hastings of Topeka KS. He is predeceased by his parents Frank Gustafson and Ellen "Carlson" Gustafson of Ludington, and father-in-law Elgie C. Hastings Jr. of Topeka. Dennis's family would greatly appreciate if his friends would share their favorite photos, memories, stories, and/or antidotes of him. Please send them to USMC.cyclist@gmail.com Semper Fi