Dec. 8, 1940 — March 24, 2015 On Tuesday, March 24, 2015, Dennis Jennings booked a ticket for his greatest adventure — an extended tour of the universe and the great beyond. Bon Voyage Dennis! Dennis John Jennings was born in Los Angeles, Dec. 8, 1940, to Melonie (Krenn) and Homer Jennings. Growing up in the 40s and 50s, he had a paper route delivering the Los Angeles Herald on his bicycle. His route took him by the old Universal back lots so he met Rosalind Russell and Arthur O’Connell on the set of “Picnic” one morning about 3:30 a.m. He also witnessed an atomic bomb test in the Nevada desert, as it cast a brilliant flash of light over the deserted streets of LA. All of those adventures at such an early hour did little for his academic career, but he rose to the challenge and attended City College in LA, and then UCLA, where he earned his Master’s degree in art and design. His first job out of college was an instructor at the University of Northern Iowa. He taught ceramics and design for 10 years, obtained tenure and became an assistant professor. He met Cynthia Thompson at UNI and they married May 16, 1970. They produced a wonderful daughter, Cecily. While Dennis taught, they also farmed an acreage and ran a village tavern in rural Iowa. They traveled extensively throughout the U.S. and Europe. Dennis especially loved the state of Utah, and never tired of visiting there. Dennis continued to apply his talents to several restaurants, furniture design and graphic design. His real passion lay in the arts; his own work and the importance and promotion of art in our lives. His ceramics and paintings are in personal and museum collections. He received a Merit Award from the American Crafts Council, was named a “Young American” artist, and claimed the “First Award in Designer Crafts” from the state of Iowa. One of his last efforts was the establishment of a non-profit corporation (FASEM) to promote fine arts in the Winona area. He sponsored four annual shows concurrent with the Shakespeare Festival that featured respected jurors and artists from the Tri-State area. He wanted to showcase Winona as an important center for all of the arts. The corporation will live on and continue to enrich the lives of Winonans. Dennis was an enthusiastic musician and instrument builder. He provided us with wonderful meals every night and even built our dining room table. His approach to life was one of great vitality and exuberance, and that explains his relatively long life, punctuated by potentially debilitating health issues. He overcame so many challenges that he even amazed himself. Adieu, Dennis, from Cynthia and Cecily (John Lockwood); sisters, Kathleen (Rich) Hottell and Christina (Anita Nancuso) Brogaard; mother-in-law, Caroline Janssen; Cynthia’s sisters and brothers, Jean and Jerry Zellars; Mary and Whit Anderson; Katy and Dan Dunn; Christopher and Lucy Thompson; and Robert and Leann Thompson; and all of their children; all of the rest of our family; all of our friends in Winona, and across the country; as well as his special animal friends, Rose, Missy and Birdy. We would like to thank Dennis’ kind and generous caregivers, Dr. Suzanne Haymen, Hematology, and all of the Mayo staff; Winona Health’s excellent doctors and nurses; everybody at Lake Winona Manor and Winona Hospice. Also, thanks to all of the friends who supported us throughout with kind words and often wonderful dinners; my co-workers at Benchmark Electronics; and those guys at Kwik Trip, with their words of encouragement, and everybody else. Thank you.
