Dr. Dennis Watkins Wise died at his home in Winchester, VA, on January 18, 2024, at the age of 84. He was a retired physician who practiced orthopedic surgery for 40 years in Winchester.

Dennis is survived by his wife of 62 years, Kay, daughter Laura, son Tom and daughter-in-law Mary Margaret, son Andrew, granddaughter Maggie, and grandsons Gus and Sam. He is also survived by his sister JoAnn Rowlands and husband Jack, brother David Wise, sister-in-law Patricia Wise, brother-in-law John Bergland, and many nephews, nieces, colleagues, and good friends. His brother Jerry Wise, sisters-in-law Catherine Wise and Barbara Bergland, and brothers-in-law James Bergland, Richard Bergland, and Tom Bergland preceded him in death.

Dennis was born in 1939 in Greenville, IL, the son of Dale and Grace Watkins Wise. He spent his early boyhood years near Pittsburgh, PA, where his parents taught him how to garden and grow dahlias. In 1953, the family moved to Warren, OH, and established a family business, Wise Florists, where Dennis worked with his parents and siblings until 1957 when he began college at Wheaton College in Illinois. Dennis, who had a lifelong passion for the game of basketball, played basketball at Howland High School in Warren and at Wheaton College. He met his wife, Kay Bergland of Great Falls, MT, at Wheaton. In 1963, Dennis and Kay moved to New York City where he began to pursue a career in medicine. He graduated from the Cornell University Medical College in 1967 and then served as an intern and assistant surgeon at the New York Hospital.

Dennis completed his orthopedic residency in 1973 and a fellowship in hand surgery in 1974 at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. Following his orthopedic training, he chose to join Winchester Orthopedic Associates, established in 1972 by Doctors George White and Thomas Schulz in the Kurtz Building in Winchester. Dennis and Kay and their 3 children moved to Winchester in 1974 when he began his 40-year career in orthopedics. He retired in 2014. As an orthopedic surgeon, he treated and operated on thousands of patients at the Winchester Medical Center. His care for patients was given with compassion and a commitment to excellence; and he felt rewarded each time he helped a patient feel better. His son Tom, who joined Winchester Orthopedic Associates in 2000, continues Dennis’s legacy as an orthopedic surgeon.

Dennis was committed to serving his community. He served as chairman of the Winchester Parks and Recreation Board and volunteered as team physician for both the Handley High School and James Wood High School football teams. For his service at Handley, he was inducted into the Hunter Maddex Hall of Fame. From 1995 to 2009, Dennis served as team physician for Team USA at the Deaflympics, a periodic series of multi-sport events sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee.

Dennis had many interests and enormous energy. He loved to have fun. An accomplished photographer, he mastered the art of the view camera and Leica cameras. Dennis loved the outdoors. He took photographs, hiked, bicycled, and skied in many places around the world, often traveling with good friends. He was an avid reader, gardener, student of the arts, charter member of the Convivial Conversation Group, and member of Christ Episcopal Church in Winchester. After his retirement, Dennis volunteered in the rose garden at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley; and he created a garden in his own backyard where he grew beautiful dahlias. His garden was a constant source of solace and renewal.

Dennis was a devoted and proud father and grandfather. He cherished time spent with his children and grandchildren and especially loved family dinners he shared with them. He hiked in Alaska with his son Drew, bicycled in France with his daughter Laura, and fished many rivers with his son Tom. Dennis loved the rivers, mountains, and badlands of Montana, Kay’s home state, and relished summer vacations and fly-fishing in Montana with his family. One of his biggest delights was watching his children play basketball when they were young and, in the last decade, watching his granddaughter Maggie play high school and college volleyball, and his grandsons Gus and Sam play high school and college basketball.

The Wises are grateful to many friends, the doctors and nurses at the Winchester Medical Center, Home Instead caregivers, and Blue Ridge Hospice for the support and excellent care given to Dennis.

A memorial service in celebration of Dennis’s life will be held Saturday, February 17, at 2:00 p.m. at Christ Episcopal Church in Winchester, with the Rev. Webster Gibson officiating. A reception will follow in the Church Parish Hall. Burial will be private.

Memorial contributions may be made for the Trails at the MSV at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley (MSV) online at themsv.org/give/ or by mail to MSV, 901 Amherst Street, Winchester, VA 22601.