Dennis McQuaid

Dennis C. McQuaid, 79, of Lincoln Park, went to be with God his heavenly Father on Friday, March 31, 2023.

Dennis was born in Newark, the first of Charles and Emily McQuaid’s three children. He was raised in Nutley until age eight when his family moved to Lincoln Park where he lived for the rest of his life. 

After graduating high school from Bloomfield Tech in 1962, Dennis served in Vietnam as a soldier in the United States Army  from 1964 to 1966. For his brave service he received one overseas bar, the Vietnam Service Medal and the National Defense Service Medal.

As a child, Dennis walked closely with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. His desire was to know God more and more so, upon returning to civilian life, he enrolled in Northeastern Bible College in Essex Fells, NJ. There he studied God’s words in the Holy Bible and graduated four years later with his bachelor’s degree.

Much like the apostle Paul one of the most important figures in the bible who worked as a tent maker to provide for his daily needs so that he could pursue his greatest passion – leading others to the saving grace of God through his son Jesus, Dennis worked in his primary vocation as a Water Plant Operator for the Borough of Butler, NJ to provide for his daily needs so that he could pursue that same passion that the apostle Paul had.

Dennis’ zeal for the Lord started at a young age when he joined a group in his local church on Parish Drive called  Christian Service Brigade As stated on the organization’s website northernfrontier.org, the purpose of this group was to guide groups of boys and young men like Dennis through adventure-packed, action-filled experiences that would draw them closer to God and equip them to be leaders of tomorrow. In 1946 The Bridgade started a camp called Northern Frontier Camp in New York’s Adirondack Mountains. Dennis was blessed to visit this camp every summer where he experienced wilderness activities, skill work, Bible exploration, service, and camping in order to bring about internal, permanent change that enabled him to stand strong in Biblical conviction (Galatians 2:20) and to learn to make disciples and disciple makers of Christ (Matt 28:19-20).

The old adage that “Boys will be Boys” is often meant to be an excuse for men to engage in questionable activity. The Brigade and Northern Frontier Camp believes that “Boys will be Men” and therefore purposefully makes it their mission to prepare boys for that role for the glory of God and the ultimate betterment of society.

Throughout his career with the Borough of Butler Dennis stayed active in the Brigade and at Northern Frontier Camp in the summers. In fact, he would often use his vacation time at work to volunteer at the camp. Since retiring at the age of 63, Dennis spent entire summers volunteering at the camp. The only one he missed was the summer of COVID. He loved to counsel and mentor the boys as had been done for him. He loved being a camp cook, driving the bus and was always able and willing to build or repair anything at the facilities.

Dennis was also a true family man. Though he never married or had children of his own, he was a dear uncle to his nieces and nephews, great nieces and great nephews, and even his two great-great nieces. He loved surprising them with coins for Christmas and he made it a priority to visit his sister and brother-in-law in Alaska when  their children were young.

If you needed prayer for a challenge in your life, Dennis was the man to ask to pray for you. His list must have been longer than Santa’s at Christmas because he would faithfully wake up every morning at 5 AM and proceed to pray for two hours.

Dennis didn’t value earthly treasures where moth and rust will always ultimately destroy. Instead he sought treasures in heaven where moth and rust could not destroy. He invested in eternity by investing in God’s word, prayer, and people. Quiet, meek, helpful, were words that could be used to describe Dennis. He regularly sponsored kids who otherwise would not be able to afford camp, and he would often go to the sporting events of boys who had no father figure in their lives.

Dennis always prayed that when he passed away, the Lord would say “Well done thou good and faithful servant.” He didn’t believe that he could earn eternal life by doing good works, but he wanted others to know about the great God and creator he served so that they too could have eternal life. Well done Dennis! You were a good and faithful servant.

Dennis was predeceased by his dear parents, Charles in 1976 and Emily (Hopkins) McQuaid in 2018. He was the loving brother of Arthur and wife Susan McQuaid of West Milford, and Nancy and husband Richard Green of Fairbanks, Alaska; dearest uncle of: Tim McQuaid and wife Rosalie, Denise McQuaid, Shawn McQuaid and wife Laura, Melissa Rose and husband Lou, Chuck McQuaid and wife Elizabeth, Christopher Green and partner Marta, and Kimberly Ives and husband Caleb; dear uncle of numerous great nieces and great nephews and his two great-great nieces.

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In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Dennis’ name are asked to consider:

Northern Frontier Camp

38 Cadwallader Ct.

Yardley, PA 19067

If you wish to donate online just CLICK HERE