Fr. Dennis Stephen Smith died on June 11 at the age of 79 at Agrace Hospice in Fitchburg.

He was born on December 10, 1945, in Jacksonville, Fla., and Baptized at St. Edward’s Chapel (Naval Air Base) in Jacksonville, on December 26, 1945.

Father Smith is preceded in death by his parents, Dr. Louis and Agnes (Demuth) Smith.

After attending St. Clement School in Lancaster, Father Smith completed his high school studies and general collegiate studies at Holy Cross Seminary in La Crosse.

He completed his philosophical and theological studies at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

Father Smith continued studies at the Catholic University of America and earned a master of arts degree in 1969 and a Ph.D. in 1975.

He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Cletus F. O’Donnell of Madison on June 16, 1973, at St. Clement Church in Lancaster.

Father Smith began ministering in the Diocese of Madison as a parochial vicar at St. Patrick Parish in Madison, and then at St. Joseph Parish in Fort Atkinson, Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish in Madison, St. William Parish in Janesville, St. Bernard Parish in Middleton, St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Madison, and Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Parish in Sun Prairie.

He served as chaplain at Madison General Hospital in Madison (now UnityPoint Meriter Hospital).

He ministered as pastor of Ss. Andrew and Thomas Parish in Tennyson-Potosi, St. Francis Xavier Parish in Cross Plains, and Christ the King Parish in McFarland, from which he retired as pastor emeritus.

Father Smith also served in numerous roles for the Diocese of Madison, including on the Diocesan Cemetery Board, the Diocesan Board of Education, the Diocesan Services Appeal Board, the Presbyteral Council (including the Priest Health, Emmaus, and Ecumenical Committees), and as the director of cemeteries, the ecumenical representative, and later as the diocesan ecumenical officer, and the dean of the West Dane Deanery.

The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Christ the King Church, 5306 Main St. in McFarland on Monday, June 23, at 11 a.m.

Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison will celebrate the Mass with Fr. Randy Budnar, parochial vicar of St. Cletus Pastorate, as homilist.

A Rosary service will be held at Christ the King Church on Monday, June 23, at 8:30 a.m. with a visitation from 9 a.m. until shortly before the time of the Funeral Mass, with an additional visitation on Sunday, June 22, from 1 to 3 p.m.

Private burial will take place later on the same day at the family plot in Cassville.