Denise Hedlund Obituary Denise Rae Hedlund (Eggleston) passed away on November 25th, 2024. She was a lifelong teacher and caregiver and a fierce advocate for children with special needs and their families. She was married to the love of her life, Paul Richard Hedlund, for over 50 years. She was Mom to Sunshine, Andy, and their spouses, Mark and Nicole, and she was Nana to her three grandchildren, William, Stella, and Hazel. She was a loving daughter, sister, and friend. She was Auntie Neecee. She was a neighbor mom, a daycare mom, a second mom to so many people, and she was Nana Neecee to many more. Denise and Paul loved each other deeply and made an incredible team. They always made people feel welcomed and loved. Their 51st wedding anniversary would have been December 22nd, 2024. They celebrated their 50th anniversary last year by visiting a sea turtle hospital in Florida. Denise loved turtles and Paul loved Denise, so thats how they celebrated. Denise and Pauls golden years together were when they were able to take 11 trips to Europe to see their son, Andy, play professional hockey in Germany and Austria. Some of their favorite memories were traveling to Paris, France and Salzburg, Austria. Pauls mom, Kathleen, went with them on one trip that included a visit to Davos, Switzerland with Andy and Niki, and a trip to Weisbaden, Germany, where Paul was born when his dad was serving in the Air Force. Denise loved the Christmas markets in Germany and Austria, and was always happy to watch Andy play hockey. Those trips to Europe became even more special when Andy and Niki had Nanas first grandchild, William Michael, in 2009, followed by Stella Kathleen, in 2011. Denise became a Nana once more in 2015 when Sunshine and Mark had their daughter, Hazel Grace. Nana Neecee loved every moment she was able to spend with her grandchildren, whether it was in person or over facetime. She cherished all the moments with her grandkids and they cherished their moments with her. The grandkids loved to swim with Nana and Gunka (Paul) and their dogs in the lake up at the cabin. They loved making runs to the Dollar Store and Target, and doing arts and crafts at the table with Nana. They loved the early morning snuggles with Nana and their ipads. Nana made every visit exciting and fun. She made each grandkid feel like they were the most special person in the world. She was born to be Nana. Denise (aka Neecee) was born September 23rd, 1953 in Topeka, Kansas to Ogden and Donna Eggleston. She was the 3rd of five children, including Michael, William (Spike), Paul, and Terri. They were an Air Force family who lived in five different states while she was growing up. Denise graduated from high school in Westford, Massachusetts in 1971. She earned an athletic varsity letter in field hockey and caused a great deal of controversy when she decided to do a project on contraception for her Modern Problems class a year before contraception became legal in the state. After she graduated from high school, her family made the move across the country to Walker, Minnesota where her parents owned and operated Deer Valley, an animal park, for the next 24 years. Denise went to college at Bemidji State University where she met the love of her life, Paul Hedlund, on Friday October 13th, 1972. The very next day, he told her that he would marry her someday. She didnt talk to him for a week after that, but it turned out he was right. They got married just over a year later and were married for nearly 51 years. In 1975, Denise graduated from St. Cloud State University with a Bachelors in Special Education and Paul enlisted in the Navy. They moved to Pensacola, Florida where their daughter, Sunshine Joy, was born in July of 1976. Denise, Paul, and Sunshine moved back to Minnesota during the summer of 1977. The following year, Denise and Paul built a house in Maple Grove, and their son, Andrew Michael, was born in May of 1978. When they moved into their new home, Denise started a home daycare. Neecee, as the kids called her, was a beloved daycare provider to many families. Denise also worked as a paraprofessional at Sunshine and Andys elementary school. Kids at Elm Creek Elementary loved her and considered her one of the "cool aids" at school. She loved teaching the students sign language while they were lining up for recess, and they loved trying to teach her how to do the moonwalk. Denise worked with children in a number of settings, including as an ice skating rink attendant, a preschool teacher, a family educator, and a nanny. Denise worked for Minneapolis public schools for nearly 30 years. She spent a majority of those years working as an Early Childhood Special Education teacher. Densie loved to work with medically fragile students, students with Down's Syndrome, and any kid that needed a little extra love, a little extra patience, a little extra silliness and connection. She worked hard to ensure that her students were part of the school community, including bringing general education students into her classrooms, and going into general education classrooms to teach them about students with special needs. Neecee worked hard to provide amazing experiences to her students, including getting a grant to take them on field trips in the community and a grant to work with local musicians, including her son-in-law, Mark, to record her and her students singing their favorite songs. Alongside being a teacher, and after she retired, Denise worked as a personal care attendant for several former students. She loved all "her kids" so much. Denises love of children was part of all aspects of her life, and Paul was a supportive and loving partner in her lifes work. For 20 years, she and Paul ran a kids Christmas party at his work. It was a beloved tradition for many families. She was a marching band mom, often volunteering as chaperone for Sunshines band activities, while Paul helped with the fundraisers. Denise was a lifelong hockey mom, spending countless hours watching Andy, his friends, and her grandkids, Will and Stella, play hockey. Denise and Paul not only cheered on their son and grandchildren, and any other chance they had to watch a kid playing hockey. She loved caring for and playing with her grandchildren and great nieces and nephews. She loved going on adventures and playing with Sunshine, Hazel, and Sunshines nanny kids. Denise was a gentle, sensitive, and compassionate soul, full of childlike joy and wonder. Neecee loved with her arms and her heart wide open. Her absence leaves a huge hole in our hearts and our lives. The best we can do to honor her is to love others the way she loved us. Celebration of Denises Life Sunday, December 15th 2:00-5:00pm Rush Creek Golf Course 7801 County Road 101, Maple Grove Join us for our Celebration of Denises Life on Sunday, December 15th. Come when you can from 2:00 - 5:00 pm. We will have a brief program beginning at 3:15, which will include a few songs and time for folks to share their memories of Denise. She touched countless lives, we would love to hear your memories as we celebrate her life. Please dress casual, or however youre most comfortable. If you want to rock a Winnie the Pooh sweatshirt, a turtle t-shirt or something green in honor of Denise, please do. Children of all ages are welcomed and encouraged. Nana Neecee would love having kids there with us. In lieu of flowers, if youd like to honor Neecee, please bring an unwrapped toy for us to donate. She loved flowers, but she also really loved making kids happy. This will give her one more opportunity to do just that. 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