On June 1, 1942 Dennis Wasson was born to his mother, Norma Vivian (Conger) Wasson and father, Raymond Earl Wasson, joining older sister, Sara, as a member of the Wasson family.  He attended Washington Elementary School, McKinley Junior High School, and Muncie Central High School, where he played bassoon in the orchestra and was accompanist for the choirs.  He graduated from Muncie Central with the class of 1960.

He began his college education at Ball State Teacher's College in the department of music with a major study in bassoon and a minor in organ.  In the spring of 1962 he suspended his college education to enlist in the Army with a pre-enlistment assignment to Fifth Army Band at Fort Sheridan in Chicago, Illinois.  He attended the Navy School of Music for six months and completed his time with the band as a bassoonist, saxophonist, and arranger.

He returned to Ball State in the spring of 1965 to complete his studies for a teaching degree.  Soon after returning, he saw a young woman in the music department whom he proclaimed: "She's the one!".  After conning her into accompanying him on a bassoon piece, he asked her for a date on March 26, 1965 and married her eight months later on November 26.  Dennis and Cheryl (Brown) then began what would become fifty-nine years of marriage and music partnership.

Dennis' teaching career spanned 31 years.  His first job was teaching elementary music in Greenwich, Connecticut, where he caught mumps from playing the instrument of a beginning band student.

To earn extra money, Dennis was hired as a professional singer in December of 1966 to perform Handel's "Messiah" at a church in Greenwich.  Early in the morning of the day of the performance, Cheryl went into labor.  She sat in the car, in a snowstorm, while Dennis sang.  He and Cheryl shared with others the humor and irony of the situation as one of the songs he sang was "For Unto Us A Child Is Born."  Eric was born the next morning.

After two years he and his family returned to Indiana where he taught in Randolph Southern Schools, Jay County Schools, and the last ten years at John Marshall Middle School in Indianapolis.  During those years he taught vocal, instrumental, and general music at all levels – kindergarten through 12th grade.  Over the years many of his middle school choirs received superior ratings at State Music Association choral competitions.

In his spare time, he umpired league softball in the summers and refereed basketball in the winters.  Against his wife's wishes, he refereed two girls' games at Norwell High School on the evening that the blizzard of '78 began.  He got back to Muncie 20 minutes before serious snow and wind set in.

Dennis was strong in his Christian faith, and served the Lord through his music talent.  While still in high school he was substitute organist at his home church, Hazelwood Christian.  In college he was the organist at Muncie First Christian Church.  Over the years he served churches in White Plains, NY, Norwalk, CT, and in Indiana in Hartford City, Union City, Farmland, Muncie, Yorktown, and finally at Albany United Methodist Church where he and Cheryl have served for over 20 years.  Whether an organist, pianist, choir director, singer, or chimer, he continued to serve the Lord through music until just four months before his death on October 16th.

Dennis is survived by his wife of 59 years, Cheryl (Brown); his son Eric and his wife Kathy; his granddaughter Rochelle; sister Dr. Sara Miles; niece Julia (David) Robinson and their sons, John and Mark; nephew Stephen (Sarah) Miles and their children Anna and Nathan; brother-in-law Chick (Lori) Brown and his daughter Cheyenne (Trent) Bush, and their children, Chayne, Liam, Avery, and Maeve, as well as many friends he considered family.

He is preceded in death by his parents, his mother-in-law Virginia Brown Spurgeon, father-in-law Charles V. Brown and step-father-in-law Walter Spurgeon, brother-in-law Dr. John Miles and numerous aunts and uncles.

Dennis chose to be cremated.  A celebration of his life will be held Saturday, November 9, 2024 at 2:30 P.M. in the sanctuary of Albany United Methodist Church, 125 N. Broadway, Albany, Indiana.  Visitation will be prior to the service from 1:30 – 2:30 in the sanctuary.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to the Music Fund of Albany United Methodist Church or to the Animal Rescue Fund (ARF), 1209 W. Riggin Rd., Muncie, IN 47303.