More detail on this person: Dennis Craig Bartash Obituary Canyon Country, CA resident Dennis Craig Bartash died peacefully at home on November 18, 2023. He was 80. Dennis was born Aug. 18, 1943, in New York City to the late Algirdas and Mildred Della (Schmitz) Bartash. Dennis attended elementary and junior high schools in Fond du Lac, WI. In 1961 he graduated from New Holstein High School, New Holstein, WI. Prior to being drafted into the US Army in 1965, he worked for the Fond du Lac Commonwealth Reporter, Milwaukee Sentinel, Milwaukee Journal, Town Theater, AA Laun Co., Kohler Company, and HC Prange Company, all located in the Central Wisconsin area. Dennis' Army training included Infantry, Airborne (parachute), Aviation Maintenance, Warrant Officer, and AH-1G Cobra and Test Pilot training. He served in the 325 Infantry Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division, B Co. 15th T.C. Battalion, 1st Air Cavalry Division (Airmobile), and B Troop, 7/17th Cavalry, 17th Aviation Group. His service included 3 combat tours in Vietnam. He was awarded Air Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Vietnam Service Ribbon, and Expert Sharpshooter Badge. In 1968, Dennis married Antoinette Pridgeon Strauther at Ft. Benning, GA. They had one son, Joseph, and were divorced in 1970. In 1971, he was released from active duty due to a reduction in force. He then went to Australia to join the Royal Australian Air Force. He decided not to relinquish US citizenship to become an officer in the RAAF, and returned to Vietnam. Dennis departed Vietnam in 1974 after service with the US Embassy Defense Attaché' Office to accept a job to train Imperial Iranian Army Aviation Personnel in Isfahan, Iran working for Bell Helicopter International, Textron. It was in Iran where Dennis met Nastaran Dowlatshahi and they were married in 1975. While in Kermanshah, Iran, his father Al was hired to work in Kermanshah and both of his parents joined Dennis and Nastaran living in a villa there. In the 1979 Revolution after the first occupation of the US Embassy, Dennis and Nastaran departed on the last commercial flight from Iran. They traveled through the Far East to include Thailand, Malaysia, Penang, Singapore, and returned to the US via Poland. In 1980, they settled in Sheboygan, WI and Dennis worked for Bemis Mfg. Co. In 1981, they relocated to Canyon Country, CA where Dennis went to work for HR Textron as a Program Manager. He was active in the National Management Association (NMA) and was elected President of the HR Textron Chapter and later, a Director on the Board of Directors of the NMA. In 1989, Dennis went to work for TA Manufacturing as an ISO 9000 facilitator where he created the policies and procedures for TA Aerospace in Valencia, CA. Photography, traveling, sky diving, skiing, sailing, movies, and all of the arts were things of interest to him. He loved to travel with Nastaran and their daughter, Jennifer, to various National Parks. Dennis also enjoyed a close relationship with the Iranian community through Nastaran. He especially enjoyed the Iranian cuisine. While Dennis was still able to, he had a special group of friends, the Aquamaniacs, that he did pool exercise and social gatherings with. Dennis was proud of his military experience and was active in veteran functions including leading a PTSD support group. He was also a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) service organization. The family wants to thank the VA medical staff and the VA in general for providing such great support for Dennis as his health declined. Also, special thanks to the local Fire Department and First Responders for the numerous responses and services they provided Dennis and the family. Dennis is survived by daughters, Jennifer Bartash and Tammy Nguyen; brother, Warren and Pat (Lutzke) Bartash; brother, Brian and Ruby (Riffey) Bartash; sister, Donna (Bartash) Meccia and Michael Meccia; brother-in-law, Cecil Thompson; sister-in-law, Nasrin Farahmand; and numerous other relatives. He is preceded in death by parents, Algirdas and Mildred (Schmitz) Bartash; wife, Nastaran (Dowlatshahi) Bartash; son, Joseph Bartash; brother, Ronald Bartash; brother Alan Bartash and his wife, Beverly; sister, Linda Bartash; brother-in-law, Dr. Firouz Farahmand; and numerous other relatives. Within his documents, Dennis requested that all family and friends raise a toast to the life he had, and that his ashes be spread over the Pacific Ocean. The family will celebrate his life at a future date.
This information was last updated 06/06/2025
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Date posted on this site: 10/13/2025
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