Date of Birth:
Tuesday, May 22, 1984
Date of Death:
Friday, June 7, 2024
Age:
40 years old

Sara Lynn Dueñes

Sara Lynn Dueñes, born and raised in Rochester, MN, passed away unexpectedly and far too soon on June 7th, 2024, having just celebrated her 40th birthday two weeks prior.
Sara was SO loved from the moment she was born, her older sister even accidentally giving her chicken pox as a baby because she couldn’t bear to be away from her new little sister. She was a Minnesotan in the truest sense of the word – from her accent when she’d say “no, yah” when agreeing with someone, to her love of fishing (always her dad’s Little Walleye Girl), to enjoying relaxing time at her cabin, to cheering for the Twins or Timberwolves, to her giggle-fits over the movie Drop Dead Gorgeous.
Sara received her bachelor’s degree from Macalester College in Chemistry & Biology with a Psychology minor. She returned to Rochester to work at Mayo Clinic in their Mass Spec Lab for 2 years (thanks to her prior research experience at Mac) before heading back to the Cities to earn her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Minnesota (cue “Dad, you don’t need to tell every random person on the street that I’m a doctor!”). She loved working with all of her patients, especially children. Her small stature (“fun-sized” as she called herself) meant the dental chair was firmly planted in the lowest setting but she made sure to give a ride up and down upon request. Even when her radiant smile was behind a dental mask and her twinkling eyes behind her dental loupes, she took great care to ensure all of her patients, regardless of their prior experiences in a dental chair, were comfortable.
Sara was a sensitive soul from a young age, earning her the affectionate nickname Baby as a toddler. This sensitivity played out throughout her life as she would go out of her way to help others in need, including family, friends, and volunteering her time at mobile dental clinics. She was known for being careful & deliberative when making decisions, except when it came to helping others; that, to her, was second nature and the answer was always a resounding yes. She also found joy in a wide variety of hobbies including cooking (gourmet dishes right alongside her favorite classic grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup), swimming, paddleboarding, sailing, telescoping, photography, playing all kinds of games, solving puzzles, crafting, and learning guitar.
Sara is survived by her partner of 19 years, Gerald Houle, her loving parents, Ramiro and Judith, sister Tamara (Eric) Buechler, sister Rebecca (Matthew) Cuellar, brother Jonathan, nephews and nieces Jack, Joseph, Samuel, Sophia, Alexandra, and Theodore, and her sweet kitty Rosy who will all miss her forever until the end of time when they can be reunited around the largest fruit platter Heaven has to offer.

The Funeral Service for Sara will be held at 11:00AM on Saturday, June 15, 2024 in the River Park Chapel at Macken Funeral Home. Visitation will be held on Friday evening, June 14, 2024 from 5:00PM until 8:00PM in the River Park Chapel at Macken Funeral Home and one hour prior to the service on Saturday.

Online condolences are welcome at www.mackenfuneralhome.com