Cremation and Memorial for Harry Dennis
My sister-in-law Kara Dennis lost her father this week, and as she's helping his fiancee go through paperwork, they are discovering he left no life insurance and very little savings to help offset the cost of his humble cremation and Celebration of Life. As you can imagine, this is adding an enormous burden to an already heartbreaking situation. After Kara's older sister died last year, she and my brother opened their house to their niece so she could live with them. They are incredibly family-focused, giving, loving people that would do anything for someone else.
The family is trying to come up with the money to cover the cremation, but they don't know where it's going to come from - no one has an extra $2000 set aside for this. I have offered to offload some of this stress by starting this GoFundMe in hopes that we can crowdsource enough for them to honor this devoted and generous man one last time.
A little about Harry:
On Tuesday, October 27th 2020, Harry John Dennis, loving fiance and father passed away from complications from leukemia at the age of 78. Born on January 1, 1942 in Cleveland, OH to Frank and Suzanne Dennis, Harry was a long-time resident of North Ridgeville, OH. Harry worked as a sales manager, but his true love was umpiring and coaching. He spent many years imparting not only sports knowledge, but life wisdom to youth through baseball and wrestling programs in Northeast Ohio, including several years with the wonderful wrestling program at Lutheran West High School. His support of the students on his teams did not stop once they were off the field or the mat, but instead extended to the life that surrounded them. Over the years he kept in touch with many kids who credited him with helping keep their lives “on the right track.” He loved to receive calls and letters from former athletes telling him about their successes in life. Harry saw his teams as family that should care and support one another both on and off the mat.
Family was Harry’s top priority, and he had a large, loving one. His door was always open and his house was always ‘home’ to any of his family. He loved having a house full of people and noise. He is survived by his fiancé of 22 years Delora (Dee) Letterly; daughters Kimberly (Bob) Baxter, Amy (Rob) Leonhardt, Kara Dennis (Matt Laughlin); sons Eric (Monica) Dennis and Colin (Alecia) Dennis; step-children Aaron (Beth) Letterly, Betsy Letterly, and Sarah (Marty) Humphrey; grandchildren Chad, Cory, Cylie, Cade, Cenzie, Cali, Trent, Cohen, Lexi, Emma, Sophia, Dax, Kolton, Harlyn, Ashley, Joey, Brandon, Nick, and Quentin; four great-grandchildren; brother Frank (Charlene) Dennis; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his granddaughter Ashley in 1986, his wife Barbara Dennis in 1998, and his daughter Stacey Dyer in 2018.
We would appreciate any donation you might be able to provide so that the family can focus on grieving rather than wondering how they are going to pay for putting Harry to rest.