Dennis Tognetti

Photo: Jeff Rush

Our dear friend and Booshway Emeritus Dennis Tognetti passed away on Tuesday, March 2, at the age of eighty. Doreen, his late wife, passed away in 2015. Together they raised two daughters, Niki and Tina. 

Photo: Bill Callister

Dennis joined SVML around 1986. From the very start he was a strong pillar of the club and always the go-to guy for information or answers to questions dealing with the club's activities. I remember how he always made you feel welcome, as though Rendezvous was everyone's second home, as indeed it was. 

In 2003 Dennis, along with Ray Cole and Jeff Rush, came up with the idea to throw an Autumn Trek. The event was a combination of marksmanship, survival skills, and teamwork, and was designed around a scenario that could have easily played out in the 1830's. Each four-person team was evaluated on how well they managed to survive a variety of challenges ranging from hostile natives to neon-green snakes and wanton women.  Every year Dennis re-invented the trek by adding some new obstacle for the Trekkers to overcome. In 2009 Dennis invited Terry Weaver to join them. With help from some very dedicated volunteers, the Trek became the high point of the Rendezvous season, and in my opinion, nothing came close to the excitement of pitting your team's survival skills against the clever confrontations created by Dennis and his team.

Photo: Jeff Rush

Dennis seemed determined that everybody who came to the Fall Trek would have a good time. Events included the Dueling Pistol Shoot, the Rifle and Shotgun Match, the Metallic Silhouette Shoot, and the always popular Snake Shoot. Cutting the plywood snake in half was challenge enough, but when coupled with multiple teams shooting shoulder-to-shoulder, you could feel the excitement. Seeing the two serpent halves finally break apart called for a hearty "Huzzah!" from the winners. These matches were all about fun, and Dennis made sure that there was more than enough for everyone. After creating fifteen Trek scenarios, Dennis resigned from the Trek Committee in 2018 and was replaced by Michael George.

After Doreen passed away Dennis began passing his club duties onto other members, but he remained active in the club. He would come to the monthly shoots but didn’t shoot any more, and he still did registration at Rendezvous.

Thank you Dennis, for all that you've done for the Club, and all of its guests. In our hearts, you will always have a seat close to the fire and some cookies and hot coffee.

Special thanks to Bill Callister and Jeff Rush for providing the photos and the necessary details about Dennis and the Club.