It is with deep sadness that we announce that Dennis Normand Thibeault, 74, passed away May 14, 2023, peacefully in the comfort of his home, after a short battle with an aggressive brain tumor.
Born in Sanford, Maine, on Nov. 10, 1948, Dennis was taught the French and English languages from the get-go. His family moved to Hayward in 1955, where he attended All Saints Grammar School. The family then moved to Livermore in 1962, and he attended St. Michael’s Grammar School. It was early on that Dennis knew he wanted to devote himself to caring for and helping people, so he continued to St. Joseph’s Maryknoll Seminary in Mountain View for eight years, where he studied to become a priest. Dennis went on to the Marion Catholic Diocese in Chicago, Illinois, for one year. Dennis’ spiritual belief guided him in another direction to fulfill his gift of giving as he added the language of Latin to his vocabulary.
Dennis landed in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he taught English to Chinese students. While living in Berkeley, he worked at Alta Bates Hospital as a respiratory therapist and was also the director of Human Resources. During this time, Dennis acquired his MBA at St. Mary’s and a BA in Health Services Administration. Somewhere in between, he passed his truck driving test!! We have no idea what he was planning on doing with that!
Dennis was working in Oakland at Kaiser Permanente Administration as Project Manager (ordering hospital equipment for the new hospitals) when the ALOHA spirit called out to him. He and his partner followed the call and moved to Maui, where they opened their own B&B. People from all over the world would come to enjoy their ALOHA spirit at the B&B. While there, Dennis became involved with the Maui AIDS Foundation, comforting and assisting with hospice for AIDS patients. Dennis seized the opportunity to add yet another skill to his toolbox and found the time to take and pass the Hawaii Real Estate license test. God Love him!!!
After selling the B&B, Dennis moved solo to Quincy to assist his brother-in-law Ralph in the care of his sister, Linda, who had multiple sclerosis. Dennis served as executive director for the Plumas County Crisis Intervention Center in Quincy and was a member on the Mental Health Board. For the next 20 plus years, Dennis spread his wings in helping people selflessly. This was his gift and passion.
Dennis really enjoyed shared conversation over a cup of coffee, loved Sudoku, was a great cook and made the best German chocolate cake! He loved laughing. Dennis was always our go-to if we didn’t know the answer to something. He would have been a great contestant on Jeopardy! Dennis hosted the best family and friend gatherings, and the memories of these get togethers will be cherished deep in our hearts.
Dennis’ heart and home were open to everyone. Campers, some of them friends, some strangers, parked in his yard during horrible wildfires to be out of harm’s way. Bird watchers came onto his property randomly to watch a rare bird species. Small gatherings assembled during COVID where people could share their everyday experiences and support each other. The list goes on. Dennis was the most humble and gracious man I will ever know, and it was an honor and a privilege to have him as my brother. Words cannot express how greatly he will be missed.
He is preceded in death by his father Gerard Thibeault; mother Doris Hamann; sisters Linda Koehne, and Anne Schweickert.
He is survived by his sister Celine Smania; brother-in-law Ralph Koehne of Quincy; brother-in-law Jerry Schweickert; niece Julie Knight; nephew Daniel Schweickert of Livermore; nephew Timothy Schweickert of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; and all the family and friends not mentioned here whose lives he touched over the years. We will love you Dennis … always.
