Dennis Francis Nascimento passed away peacefully in his sleep, at home in Turlock, on Thursday, July 30th. He was just over a month away from his 90th birthday.
Dennis was born on September 10th, 1936 in Modesto, to Frank and Evelyn (Vieira) Nascimento (residents of Ripon). He met, and in 1959, married Jayne Stone, his wife of 65 years, in Turlock, after which they had their first son, Randall, in 1960. He then attended college at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, where he graduated with a degree in Mechanized Ag. After a few years in Escalon, where their 2nd son, Jeff, was born, he took a job with the USDA in Salinas, CA where the family spent many happy years before relocating and eventually retiring in Turlock.
Utilizing his degree in Mechanized Ag, and his love of vehicles, Denny designed, fabricated and machined numerous pieces of equipment for employers, family and friends. Among them, a lettuce harvester, a chili pepper harvester, dune buggy transaxles, a cam grinder, small engine dyno, and a cylinder head flow bench, just to name a few.
Anyone who knew Denny knew his two favorite hobbies. As a youngster, of drag racing his hot rods both at the dragstrip and around on the streets of Turlock! Then later, with his family, of camping and driving his dune buggy in the sand dunes. Primarily Pismo Beach, and later, trips to Idaho, Oregon, Dumont Dunes and Sand Mountain.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Evelyn; his wife, Jayne; and his brother Bob.
He is survived by his two sons, Randy (his wife Brenda) and Jeff; his brother, Greg; his sisters, Raelyn Mello, Dianne McEwen, Carol McKinley & Karen Martini; and many wonderful in-laws, nephews and nieces, too numerous to list.
Services will be held on Wednesday, August 26th,, 2026 at All Saints University Parish, 4040 McKenna Dr, Turlock, CA 95382. A Recitation of the Rosary at 9:30am and Funeral Mass at 10:00am. The committal service will follow at Turlock Memorial Park, 575 N Soderquist Rd where his wife’s (Jayne’s) urn will be interred with him.
A casual reception and taco bar lunch will be held afterwards in the Skylounge Room, upstairs of the Ten Pin Fun Center at 3700 Countryside Dr. in Turlock.
