Rita Diehl
It is a sad day today, learning of Denny's passing. I feel certain he lived life fully until his very last breath. Jeanne and family, please accept my deepest condolences on your loss.
I have not seen Denny in many years; we always seemed to live in far apart places. But that does not diminish the forever special memories of growing up....as cousins of the same age, as classmates from kindergarten through high school (Class of '68,) and as 'neighbors' on land that had once been the farm of my grandparents (Christian and Ella nee, Stoll Diehl) set in a beautiful rural setting surrounded by several generations of extended family connections.
The last time we spent time together was long ago, after he left the Coast Guard Academy and settled in the Florida Keys crewing on a large, well-appointed deep-sea fishing charter yacht. Denny loved what he was doing and invited me down for a visit during U of I's spring break along with whatever friends/classmates I could convince to figure out a way with little money to get from Champaign to Islamorada.
Five of us eventually arrived; Denny found us a rather dilapidated beach house where we could all sleep, shower, cook, and hang out; it became party central. He enjoyed showing us around, introducing us to the locals as his 'covey of college girls from up-north.' We had a blast.
Life threw him a few curve balls but he handled things with determination and admirable aplomb. Perhaps the best thing to ever happen to him was reconnecting with Jeanne and sharing life together. Rest in peace, Denny.
Rita Diehl