It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our father, husband, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend, Dennis Lee Hoard on Friday May 29th, 2026, at the age of 84 years old.
Dennis was born on March 16, 1942, in Fort Frances, and lived there with his large family until he moved to Atikokan. He met his future wife, Rita Maria Vinck, in Atikokan and they married in August 1963. Dennis and Rita welcomed their first son, Kevin, in 1964 shorty after moving to Thunder Bay. They started their adventures sailing on the Great Lakes where they worked on shipping vessels cooking and caring for the staff. They worked on the ships until they welcomed their second son, Gary, in 1966. Gary was born shortly after they moved to Marathon. Dennis worked at the Marathon Mill until 1969 when they moved back to Thunder Bay. Dennis worked at the Thunder Bay Mill, and they welcomed their third child, Diane.
Dennis and Rita were extremely enterprising and were the OGs of thrifting. In1969, Dennis and Rita opened the Bargain House, where they bought and sold used furniture and other second-hand items. They took great pride in finding interesting treasures both in Thunder Bay and in the Duluth area, fixing and cleaning these items, and reselling them at the store. They made Thunder Bay their home and welcomed their fourth and final child, Dennis Jr. They owned and operated the Bargain House from 1969 – 1986.
At this time, Dennis changed gears taking up a career as a real estate salesperson, an auctioneer, and through his connections in real estate, he purchased and built several profitable buildings. Dennis enjoyed a long career as a landlord and finally retired in 2022, when he sold the last of his apartment buildings.
Dennis had many hobbies which included boating, fishing, playing guitars and working on his prized 1964 Corvette. He loved to entertain his family and friends by playing his guitars and singing. He loved all styles of music – his favourite artist being Elvis Presley. Dennis was his happiest when he was entertaining his family with an Elvis tune.
Dennis is survived by Rita, his beloved children Kevin Lee Hoard (Julie), Gary William Hoard (Stasia), Diane Lynn Hoard, Dennis James Hoard (Patricia); cherished grandchildren Stefan, Alina, Livia, Kaleb and Brennan; siblings Cindy Stuart (Ron), David Hoard (Danila), Lynn Hoard (Darlene), Stan Hoard (Linda), sister-in-law Darlene Hoard, many nieces and nephews, and other relatives.
Dennis was predeceased by his parents, Helen and William Hoard; brothers Dale and Ken Hoard; and sisters Bonnie and Phyllis Hoard.
A graveside service will be held on Friday, June 12th at 2:30 Riverside Cemetery 800 Oliver Rd. Section 50. A Sargent & Son Funeral Home hearse will be in front of Riverside Cemetery 800 Oliver Rd to guide vehicles in at 2:30 pm. Reception to follow at 1381 Piccard Ave. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Society to support other families living with Alzheimer’s disease. Online condolences maybe expressed at www.sargentandson.com.
