Stephen "Dennis" Hogans passed away on November 11, 2023 after a long battle with multiple sclerosis.  Dennis was born in Kent County, Maryland on May 30, 1953, and lived a full life in Rock Hall and Chestertown.

Dennis graduated from St Francis Preparatory and attended Bridgewater College and Chesapeake College. Professionally, Dennis had a long career in insurance in Rock Hall, Chestertown, and Centreville.  He built trust and relationships with his customers and colleagues.

Dennis is survived by his daughter, Sam and her husband Alex Walsh (MD); his son Mike (MD); sisters Donna Engelmann (Milwaukee, WI) and Meg Utterback (Summit, NJ); brothers Bill (Canada), Vaughn, Frank and Matt Hogans (Chestertown, MD) and their families; and one grandson. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ruth Suzanne Corbett Hogans and Franklin T. Hogans, Sr. of Rock Hall, MD.

The middle of seven children, Dennis was a creative and talkative child, getting into many shenanigans. To his younger siblings, he was a hero and a protector. To his older siblings, he was a dear friend, and despite his troublesome antics, they could never stay mad at him because he was so innocent and triumphant in the trouble he caused.

In his youth, he was charming, intelligent, funny, irreverent, and generous. He had a strong sense of injustice and always sought out and befriended people who did not have the advantages he had. While in college in Massachusetts, he (in the dead of winter) gave all his worldly possessions, including his winter coat, to people in need an Indian reservation. He surrounded himself with people from all walks of life and backgrounds.

During his prime years, Dennis was an avid and knowledgeable fisherman, proudly coaching his children to win casting contests in their youth against substantially older competitors at fishing tournaments. He sailed log canoes. He was notorious for purchasing and maintaining ambiguously seaworthy boats for his various marine adventures.  In the late 80s, Dennis and his brother Vaughn took a maiden voyage on Dennis' boat the Rosie Ruth (known among friends as the Widowmaker) where it caught fire on the Chester River. Many people just yelled hello and waved, not appreciating that they were calling for help. He was an advocate for the Sultana Project, understanding the benefits it would bring to thecommunity. He ran Riverview Liquors and sponsored hydroplane races on the Chester River. He loved growing up and living on the water.

Always the life of the party, Dennis was known for his storytelling, philosophizing, and willingness to shoot the breeze. He loved music and had a robust collection of classic rock vinyl and cassette tapes (despite technology and progress rendering these obsolete). He was a great dancer. He enjoyed photography, poetry, literature, and math. A begrudging horse show dad, Dennis spent many weekends toting his daughter to competitions while staunchly refusing to learn anything about horses and affectionately nicknaming every horse "Glue" or "Dogfood".

Dennis was a self-taught engineer.  He could fix anything using anything, to various degrees of success, ranging from industrious (so many zip ties) to misguided (the Using Dryer Lint As A Fish Tank Filter Massacre of 1998) to downright dangerous (anything to do with DIY electricity or wiring). An amateur practitioner of vintage first aid, he treated most minor cuts with Merthiolate (banned by the FDA in the 1970s due to its mercury content), coining the signature phrase "if it's burning it's working".

In his later years, Dennis faced an uphill climb against MS while maintaining his fierce independence with the support of his caretaker and friend, Deborah Thomas, to whom his family remains endlessly grateful. He was proud of his children and his home was decorated with framed art from their childhood. He loved regular visits and calls from his brothers and sisters, who stopped in to check on him. He was a loyal and selfless friend to many in the community and repeatedly opened his door to those in need of a place to rest their heads.

Dennis was truly a character and will be remembered for his sense of humor, adventurous spirit and resilience throughout his life. He was not afraid of anything, at times to his detriment, and he lived his life on his own terms with great conviction.

Dennis did not wish to have funeral services. For those who knew and loved him, please celebrate him in the little things: a great song, a beautiful morning on the Bay, a practical joke, or a strong opinion. In lieu of flowers, please direct donations in Dennis' memory to the National MS Society, or The Animal Care Shelter of Kent County (where his dog Tessa was a frequent flyer for short visits after many unintentional escapes).

arrangements by Galena Funeral Home of Stephen L. Schaech