Dennis Gilbertsen

He was 78 years old. He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Roberta “Bobi” Gilbertsen and their five children, Dave Borkowski, Jennifer Kupiszewski, Cheryl Gilbertsen, Melinda Loop and Jamie Barnett. And his eleven grandchildren, Dave’s children, Connor, Ethan and Bailey Borkowski; Jennifer’s children, Michael and Alex Morse; Cheryl’s children, Andrew Gilbertsen and Airleigh Cano-Barrientos; Melinda’s children, Corey and Emiley Borkowski and Jamie’s children, Evan and Chylar Barnett. Dennis will be interred at the National Cemetery with military honors. He was a simple man who wanted to be remembered but did not want a fuss. There will be a quiet remembrance with Dennis’ family at his favorite restaurant, Arrowhead Grill, and his favorite, a Delmonico steak will be involved.

Dennis was born in Buffalo, New York and raised in Minnesota. He spent his entire life serving his country and community. At age 18 he joined the Marines and served in Vietnam from 1963-1967. Dennis joined the Phoenix Police Department in 1968. Dennis graduated from Glendale Community College May 1974. He was a patrolman and a detective until he joined the bomb squad as a founding member in May 1981. Dennis retired from the police department in 1999 and remained a member of the bomb squad until he retired. While on the force, Dennis volunteered to serve as a Union Representative and he was on the Critical Incident Response Team helping officers through the most challenging situations. He was a collector of police badges and patches and made friends around the world. Dennis was also an avid reader who devoured books. He served in the Army National Guard for many years only because there was no Marine National Guard. Once a Marine always a Marine and Dennis was a Marine to the end.

In lieu of giving flowers the family asks that you make a donation to Phoenix Police Foundation. https://phoenixpolicefoundation.org/home