Denis Scott Hofflander passed away at Dow Rummel Village on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, due to complications from Parkinson's and Lewy Body Dementia. He was 80 years old. Memorial services will be held at 11:00 am, Saturday, November 8, 2025, at First Baptist Church (1401 S. Covell Ave., Sioux Falls). The family will greet friends for visitation from 4:00 – 6:00 pm, Friday, November 7, 2025, at Miller Funeral Home – Southside Chapel (7400 S. Minnesota Ave., Sioux Falls). In lieu of flowers, memorials may be donated to The Promising Futures Fund or a charity of your choice.

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Denis was born on October 24, 1944, to Alfred and Elizabeth (Clark) Hofflander in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He received his early education there and graduated from Mary D Bradford High School in 1962. He earned his Bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Montana, which began his love of the mountain landscape – specifically Montana and Big Sky Country. He moved to Sioux Falls in the fall of 1967 when he was hired as a teacher at Lincoln High School. His entire 34-year teaching career was spent there, teaching a number of different biology courses and coaching wrestling. He was inducted into the Lincoln High School Hall of Fame in 2013.

In the fall of 1968, Denis met his future wife, Susan Vick, who was a teacher at the cross-town rival Washington High School. They wed in 1970 and spent their entire married life in Sioux Falls. Denis earned his Master's Degree at SDSU & in 1978, he was named the South Dakota Outstanding Biology Teacher by the National Association of Biology Teachers. In the summer of 1986, he was one of 15 educators from around the country to be awarded an NEH Grant to study the text and context of Charles Darwin at Harvard University. For the 6 weeks that he was in class or at the library, Susan and Nathan explored all that Cambridge and Boston had to offer.

Their happy place was a cabin overlooking Henry's Lake in Island Park, Idaho, just 16 miles from Yellowstone National Park. They loved the friends they made there, the dry mountain air, and the beautiful natural scenery that surrounded them. Denis built the first addition to the cabin, cutting the trees the summer before. He bought the book "How to Build a Log Cabin" and believed he could do it. They spent 41 summers there before selling it in 2021.

After retirement, they enjoyed traveling, which included several European cruises, an extended road trip to the southeastern states, and spending the month of March in Sedona, Arizona, for many years.

He was a modern-day mountain man who loved hunting, hiking, canoeing, and kayaking. Fall was his favorite season because it brought pheasant hunting and working at various South Dakota hunting lodges. He trained all of his dogs to be a big part of his guiding experience.

Those fortunate to have shared his life are his wife of 55 years, Susan; their son, Nathan (Sara) Hofflander, and their six grandchildren, Thaniel (Alli), Luciana (fiancé Tom Rausch), Evelyn, Isabel, Clare, and Franklin; one sister, Nancy (Nick) Huck; and sister-in-law, Donna (Jim) Markusen. Other close family members include Barry and Pam, Carl and Nova, and four nieces, one nephew, and many cousins.