Mr. John Dennis Jr.'s Obituary
On Thursday the 7th of November, 2019, John Dennis, Jr., 94, a loving husband of 67 years, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by loved ones.
John was a St Petersburg native, born at Mound Park Hospital now known as Bayfront. John was raised in the family owned Dennis Hotel. In June 1952 he married Barbara Hatfield. Over their 67 years together they rescued and loved many four legged furry children.
At eight years of age John decided he would learn to play tennis. He became quite good at the sport and went on to win many championships including the St. Petersburg singles and doubles, the St. Petersburg city open and the Florida state division. He was ranked second in the south of the junior division. After graduating from St. Petersburg High School, he joined the U.S. Army where he continued to play tennis. He won the 42nd division during his basic training at Gruber, Oklahoma. During 30 years of active and reserve duty with the U.S. Army, he served in WWII, Korea and Vietnam. He continued to play tennis the entire time and went on to win many championships in other countries including Austria and Korea. After retiring from the Army, he and Barbara decided to return to their roots in St. Petersburg. John then started teaching tennis at Bartlett Park where he taught women’s clinics as well as individual lessons.
John is preceded in death by his father John, Sr. and his mother Alexandra. His beloved wife of 67+ years, Barbara Evelyn Dennis, passed away, Saturday, February 29, 2020.
A memorial visitation for Barbara and John will be held 1:30 pm - 2:00 pm followed by a memorial service and celebration of their lives at 2:00 pm, Sunday, March 15, 2020 in the chapel of Memorial Park Funeral Home 5750 49th Street North, St Petersburg, Florida 33709. They will be laid to rest in Memorial Park Cemetery, St. Petersburg, Florida.
To share a story or photo, leave a tribute or to offer condolences to the family at this difficult time please visit Barbara and John's memorial webpages at www.memorialparkfuneralhome.com and sign their guestbook.
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