Dennis P. Hanrahan

Dennis Patrick Hanrahan (1947-2026)

Dennis was the silver back of the family, he was always willing to help anyone and made sure that everyone that he met felt loved. One of his greatest abilities was his effort to always be available for those who needed him. He was the person that the family would call on to fix things, to lend an ear of advice and rely on him for guidance. He loved his boat and fishing, but his true love was Mary Jo.

Dennis Patrick Hanrahan, 79 years old, died in Liberty Indiana on September 29th.

Dennis was preceded in death by his father Stanley Hanrahan, and sister Patti Durr.

Survived by his children Denise Nicely and husband Tommy Nicely, Katie Schwab and significant other Matt Van Meter, Sean Hanrahan and wife Brandi Hanrahan.

Survived by his grandchildren Taylor Nicely- Castro and husband Ignacio Castro, Kyle Nicely and wife Carla Nicely, Chloe Nicely, Mya Hanrahan, Jordan Hanrahan, Lincoln Schwab, and Caleb Schwab. He loved taking his grandchildren boating, fishing, and attending sporting events. Dennis loved being a “Papa”. He treasured his time with his grandkids, never failing to be there for all of the most important events whether that was going to sporting events, musicals/school concerts, graduations, or just hanging out at his favorite place “the lake”.

Survived by his mother Norma Hanrahan, his sister Maureen Ashley, and his brother Kevin Hanrahan and wife Sheila Hanrahan.

Preceded and survived by many cherished friends.

He was born in Cincinnati in 1947 to Stan and Norma Hanrahan. He grew up in Norwood and loved his cars, he played football in college and semi-pro after college.

Dennis met the love of his life, Mary Jo in 1964 at a high school dance. They have been together since she was 14 years old and Dennis taught her how to drive. A funny memory of their first date was when he wrecked his fathers car. Years later, excited to start their new lives together, the two were married in 1970 at St Peter and Paul church. Married to a devout catholic, he loved being dragged to church by his wife.

Dennis had a soft spot for his furry friends, mainly duke and later on Jake, treating each and every one like the valuable family member they were. Jake was always papa's best excuse for getting to go home and get to bed early.

Dennis was passionate and dedicated to his work. He continued working for the love of building and maintaining relationships. He constantly sought out new people to meet and care for.

To take a look into Dennis’s love for his hobbies all you need is one look into his garage. There you will find tons of fishing and boating gear. All the tools someone will need for any project, and maintaining his garden and home. Not to mention all his golf clubs and various little trinkets. The list is almost endless. He was a man of many talents and interests, and he put himself fully into each one.

Dennis will always be remembered for being a reliable pillar of strength to lean on and the way that he always kept in contact with everyone whether it was something as simple as a meme, a phone call or going the extra length to see them in person. He was more than happy to fill the spot or void where others could not, and made sure everyone else had what they needed before himself. But most importantly, he wanted to make sure you felt loved each and every day. He always made an effort to make his family laugh, whether the joke was a good one or not, he was able to get a laugh out of just about anyone. We’ll always imagine hearing him say his signature phrases like “just ask papa, I know stuff”, “you sound good”, “well you asked my opinion”, and “yes dear ” one more time. We couldn’t have asked for a better husband, son, older brother, father, and papa. We will miss Dennis every day, and his memory will live on in the hearts of all those who loved him.

Visitation will be held at Vorhis & Ryan Funeral Home, 5501 Montgomery Rd., Norwood, OH 45212 on Sunday, October 4, 2026 from 2-4pm. A funeral service will be held at 3:30pm.