Dennis J. Mattson

Dennis Jay Mattson (Denny), 74, of Vancouver, WA passed away on the morning of March 1st, 2022, from cardiovascular complications. Dennis was born in Vancouver, WA on July 5th, 1947. He was the third son of Vern and Berniece Mattson. He was part of the first graduating class of Columbia River High School. After high school, Dennis attended Clark College and the University of Portland before going into an electrical apprenticeship program with Metro Training IBEW Local 48. He later served on their apprenticeship board as part of his 35 years in the electrical trade. In the late 60's, Dennis served in the Army Reserve for six years. He was also a Mason, a Scottish Rite, a Shriner, a volunteer firefighter, and a trustee at Mill Plain United Methodist church. In 1966, Dennis met Kathy, the love of his life, at a dance. From that moment, he didn't have eyes for any other girl. They dated three and a half years before their wedding in July, 1969. What Dennis and Kathy wanted more than anything in life was to start a family. After eleven years of marriage, they finally brought home their baby daughter, Kimberly, and two years later, daughter Karin arrived. He loved being a husband, a father, and later on Papa to 8 grandchildren. Dennis was loved by so many friends and family members. He had the ability to strike up a conversation with anyone and his sense of humor was well-known. Dennis was the type of father and papa to be down on the floor crawling around and playing with the kids. In 2019, when Dennis and Kathy celebrated their 50th anniversary, they took a vacation with their daughters, son-in-laws, a niece, a great-nephew and all 8 grandchildren to celebrate the special occasion. He had a wonderful marriage and was always telling Kathy how much he loved her. Dennis was an outdoorsman, enjoyed his yard and gardens, hunted during his younger years, and always appreciated going somewhere with a beautiful view, especially the lake cabin at Lake Merwin. Overall, his favorite pastime was fishing and he was thrilled to share that with his grandson, Kai, who loves to fish just as much as he did. He also enjoyed water sports and dancing with Kathy. Dennis was so proud of his daughters and their accomplishments. To his family, he offered nothing but love and support. He would help everyone when needed and his love and presence will be greatly missed. Dennis is survived by his wife of 52 years, Kathleen Mattson; daughter, Kimberly Giffen (Joshua) of Spanaway, WA; daughter, Karin McIntosh (David) of Vancouver, WA; brother, Michael Mattson (Pamela) of Renton, WA; brother, Steven Mattson of Vancouver, WA; grandchildren: Bethany, Vincent, Mikael and Jayson Giffen, and Faith, Kalina, Kaiyen and Tatym McIntosh, along with many nieces and nephews. A memorial service for Dennis will be held Saturday, March 19th, 2022, at 3pm at Evergreen Memorial Gardens in Vancouver, WA. A reception will immediately follow after the service. Throughout his life, Dennis supported the Shriners Children's Hospital. Donations may be made in the memory of Dennis to Shriners Children's Portland, 3101 S.W. Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, 971-544-3338 or at www.shrinerschildrens.org/en/locations/portland.

Dennis J. Mattson

July 5, 1947 - March 1, 2022