Charles R. Dennison

April 29, 1927 - December 14, 2017

Obituary

Charles R. “Bob” Dennison, 90, died peacefully on December 14 at Mirabella Seattle, with his wife, Bonita, and grandson, Tyler Dennison, by his side.

Bob was born April 29, 1927, in Minneapolis, but grew up and spent most of his life in Seattle, after moving here with his mother, Geraldin Walsh Dennison, in 1930. He attended Roosevelt and Franklin high schools, graduating from Franklin in 1945. He earned a chemistry degree from the University of Washington in 1950 and was a member of Delta Chi Fraternity. Upon graduation, he worked several years for the U.S. Agriculture Dept., inspecting food-processing plants throughout the country.

He was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Korean War in 1953 and was stationed at the Presidio in San Francisco, where he met his future wife, Bonita Clare Hayes. Their romance blossomed on the ski slopes of Squaw Valley and Donner Summit in California, and they were married Oct. 10, 1954, in Missoula, Montana. Bob worked in the Veterinary Corps of the Army until 1955, as a chemist and processed-foods inspector.

After leaving the Army, Bob and Bonita lived in San Jose, California, while Bob worked for Stokely-Van Camp in quality control and as Inspection Supervisor for its frozen food processing plant.

Bob and Bonita moved from the Bay Area to Seattle in 1958, where he started in the insurance business and later joined Boeing in 1960 as a quality control engineer. He retired from Boeing in 1985 and also worked as an agent for PEMCO insurance until 1996.

Bob served as a Boy Scout leader and during his retirement, as a dedicated member of the University Lions Club, including time as president. Bob and Bonita have enjoyed numerous travel adventures with their two children, Michael and Kathleen, and their families, including trips to Europe, the Caribbean and destinations all across America. They celebrated Major milestone anniversaries by bringing the entire family together in Bend, Oregon; Sun Valley, Idaho; Orlando, Florida; and a cruise that took them on adventures in Mexico, Honduras, and Belize. Bob and Bonita also traveled with friends to Africa, England, and Hawaii, and they traveled to Italy where Bob sang with the church choir in Loreto. Bob loved to play golf, sing in the choir, tell puns that always elicited a laugh or a groan, and spend time with his family. Just as in one of his favorite movies, he really had “a wonderful life.”

Bob is survived by his wife of 63 years, Bonita; son Michael (Sue O’ Connell) of Helena, Mont.; Daughter Kathleen Dennison (Robert Contiguglia II) of Fredonia, N.Y., and grandchildren Tyler and Sean Dennison and Robert Contiguglia III and Madeline Contiguglia.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m., Jan. 13, at University Temple United Methodist Church, 1415 NE 43rd st., with reception afterward. Public parking is available.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the University Lions Foundation, 4511 NE 93rd St., Seattle, WA 98115