Passed away unexpectedly on August 30, 2018.
She is survived by her husband, Patrick; her father, James Duranso; sisters, Debra Duranso and Jeannette Duranso; sons David Kendellen (Megan) and Brian Kendellen (Sonya Pliego). She is also survived by her grandchildren, Landon and Arcadia Kendellen. She was predeceased by her mother, Annette Aranguren Duranso. She is also survived by many brothers and sisters-in-law and many nieces and nephews.
Denise was a passionate advocate for children. She was active in Northwest Adoptive Families Association in Portland, Oregon, serving as president and coordinator for conferences on adoption and adoption issues. She later joined Downey Side Adoption Services in St Paul and served as a placement counselor for children in foster care into adoption families.
Denise was also an advocate for people in recovery from addiction. She spent many years co-leading support groups for people working to maintain their sobriety for Fairview Hospitals.
She also worked as a branch banker for U.S. Bank in Oregon.
Denise was an avid fan of cooking shows with an impressive collection of cookbooks. She was an accomplished home chef whose culinary feats were enjoyed by family and friends.
She and her husband married in Madison, Wisconsin, at the University of Wisconsin. After the wedding, they moved to Seattle, Washington; then Spokane, Washington, and Portland, Oregon; before finally landing in Woodbury, Minnesota.
She enjoyed travelling to visit her sons in North Carolina and Oregon. She also travelled to Europe, especially Germany, France, Great Britain and Ireland. She had a memorable trip to Russia on a boat cruise from St Petersburg to Moscow. She also enjoyed a cruise around the tip of South America from Santiago, Chile, to Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Farewell services for Denise will be held on Friday, Sept 7, at 10 am with visitation at 9 am. at Guardian Angels Church, 8260 4th St N, Oakdale, MN 55128.
