Denny Kearin, 75, of Madison, South Dakota, passed away Wednesday, September 21
at Bethel Lutheran Home, surrounded by family.
Memorial service will be 11 AM on Monday, September 26 th at Madison United Methodist
Church with Rev. Peggy Hanson officiating. Visitation will be 5-7 PM on Sunday at Rustand-
Weiland Funeral Chapel with sharing of memories at 7 PM. Visitation will continue on Monday
one hour prior to the service. Inurnment with military honors will be in Winfred Cemetery.
Online guest book is at www.rustandweilandfuneral.com.
Denny was born January 11, 1947, to Sylvester (Sid) and Elaine (Mulvihill) Kearin in
Madison. Growing up he enjoyed tinkering with cars and shearing sheep with his father.
Shearing was more than a hobby, and he said one of his greatest accomplishments in life was
shearing more sheep in a day than his father.
Denny graduated from Madison High School in 1965. He attended Springfield University
before joining the United States Air Force in November of 1966. He served his country as a
mechanic stationed overseas and was honorably discharged in the fall of 1972.
Upon returning to the states, he continued mechanical work in Brookings, SD. On April
15, 1973, he opened his own full-service Mobil station in Madison. Later he moved across the
street to Kearin’s Phillip 66, where he partnered with his brother, Mike. In 1990, Denny and Mike
built their own service station, offering full-service gas and mechanical work for the community
of Madison. The Kearin brothers ran a successful business for nearly 40 years before Denny
retired in 2012. The station held a special place in Denny’s heart and in the hearts of all who
visited, either for fuel and repairs or coffee and a chat.
In 1974, Denny met the love of his life, Donna Johnson. They married in February of
1976 and together raised four children, Joshua, Nicolas, Patrick, and Jenifer. Denny was a
proud father and grandfather while watching his children and grandchildren in various activities.
Regardless of his savviness towards the event, he was always a huge supporter and fan. He
also enjoyed hunting, fishing, smoking various meats and family time. After retirement he
started woodworking, gardening, canning and baking pies and was proud to share the fruits of
his labor. Denny was a man of principle and extremely proud of his Irish heritage. Those who
knew him cherished his sense of humor and kind heart.
Denny is survived by his wife Donna and three sons, Josh (Danielle) and Nick (Danelle
Keninger) of Madison, Pat (Michelle) of Shoreview, MN, and one daughter Jen (Joe) Rhode of
Colman, SD; grandchildren Conor, Malorie, Riley, and Cole of Madison, Sydney, Kayla and
Ryan of Shoreview, MN, and Abby and Elaina Rhode of Colman, SD; mother Elaine (Mulvihill)
Kearin of Madison, sister Cheryl Warren of Roseville, MN and brother Mike (Connie) Kearin of
Madison. He is also survived by countless beloved in-laws, cousins, nieces, nephews and more.
Denny is preceded in death by his father Sid Kearin, his brother Patrick Kearin, his
brother-in-law Tom Warren, his mother-in-law Luella (McCurdy) Johnson, nephew Zach
Johnson, and niece Julie (Kearin) Garceau.

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