Augusta- Dennis Russell Monroe, 76, of Augusta died peacefully on Wednesday, December 10, 2025. Dennis was born in Gardiner, Maine on May 7, 1949, the son of the late George and Jennie C. (Bailey) Monroe. He attended local schools and graduated from Gardiner High School in the class of 1967. He earned his BS in Secondary Education in 1971 from the University of Maine Farmington and then completed his Masters in Guidance and Counseling 1975 from the University of Maine in Orono. Dennis also served in the National Guard from 1971 to 1977. His love of education brought him to Hall-Dale High School where he taught English from 1971 to 1999. In 1999 he became the Director of Guidance, a position he held until his retirement in 2008. Dennis enjoyed traveling, golfing, reading and spending time with friends. Together, Dennis and Dorothy spent 15 years wintering in Florida. He was a volunteer at Winthrop Hot Meal Kitchen for several years. Dennis's love for the outdoors continued to bloom later in life with a gift for gardening. He was instrumental in helping Longfellow's Greenhouse move and expand in Manchester, where he spent his summers and time after work for 14 years. He also worked at Raven Tree Gardens for 16 years. Dennis is survived by his loving wife of 53 years, Dorothy Pinkham Monroe of Augusta; sister, Sheila (Bob) Rodrigue of Lewiston; in-laws, Betty (Linwood) Turcotte of Norridgewock and Edward (Nicola) Pinkham of FL; several nieces, nephews and cousins along with many loving and supportive friends. The family would like to give a special thank you to the Glenridge staff in the Gardens Neighborhood. Arrangements and guidance are in the care of Staples Funeral Home & Cremation Care, 53 Brunswick Avenue, Gardiner, ME. Condolences, memories and photos may be shared with the family on the obituary page of the Staples Funeral Home website wwwStaplesFuneralHome.com In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Dennis memory to: Winthrop Hot Meal Kitchen, PO Box 472, Winthrop, ME 04364 or Maine General Hospice, Maine General Health Office of Philanthropy, PO Box 828, Waterville, ME 04903