Dennis Oehler, Deer Park native who won 10 Paralympic medals, dies at 66

Dennis Oehler was a competitor.

Born and raised in Deer Park, he was weeks away from signing a professional soccer contract in 1984 when he was hit by a car on Meadowbrook Parkway while helping a friend whose vehicle stalled. The injuries he sustained led to the amputation of his left leg, said his wife, Lisa Oehler.

Dennis Oehler was distraught, depressed and seemed down for the count. Then, a friend brought him to watch the trials for the Paralympic Games. He was inspired.

"He saw these people sprinting around the track and realized they were amputees," Lisa Oehler said.

Oehler went on to win 10 Paralympic medals, including four golds, across the 1988, 1992 and 1996 Games. He was inducted into the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame in 2000 and spent decades as a motivational speaker, mentor and trainer, using his experience to motivate others to persevere through their own struggles.

Dennis Oehler died on Aug. 3, his wife said. He was 66.

After growing up in Deer Park, Oehler raised two children from his first marriage in East Hampton.

Dennis and Lisa met each other via online dating in 2012. She was living in Connecticut. They hit it off and fell in love, she said. The couple got married in 2013, blending her family of three children with his. They most recently lived in Southampton.

"He was one of a kind," Lisa Oehler said. "He was the best husband."

For over a decade, Dennis Oehler worked for CareRite Centers, a healthcare and rehabilitation company, and he was the co-founder of the Amputee Walking School. There, he helped motivate amputees to regain mobility and independence.

CareRite Centers called Oehler a "beloved friend" in a statement posted on social media.

"We will continue his impactful work and honor his legacy, as the Amputee Walking School continues to inspire us to keep moving forward," the statement said.

He also held a school-based program, Changing Hearts and Minds, where he spoke to students throughout Long Island and Westchester County.

When Lisa and Dennis were out at a restaurant, they’d constantly be stopped by someone who attended one of his speeches, she said.

"When I first met him, I said, ‘Would you change anything? Would you change not losing your leg?’ " Lisa Oehler said. "He goes, ‘Absolutely not. The lives I’ve touched and changed and helped.’ "

The Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame, in a statement, called Dennis Oehler "an extraordinary athlete whose accomplishments brought tremendous pride to Suffolk County and inspired countless others."

"We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends and all who knew him," the statement said.

The Commack Fire Department held a celebration of life for Oehler on Sept. 25.

He is survived by his children, Jen and Nicky; his stepchildren, RJ, Reece and Samantha; and his grandchildren, Hunter and Logan.