Dennis E. Huddleston of Amarillo passed away February 18, 2020, at the age of 61. Dennis was born on December 3, 1958, in Burlington, Iowa to Dennis Huddleston and Martha Ellen. Dennis is survived by his parents, Dennis Huddleston of Howardwick, TX; his mother Ellen Harrington (Jim) of Cedar Springs, MI ; his wife, Jennifer; his children, Cory Huddleston and wife Sharon of Grapevine, TX, Jason Huddleston and wife Rachel of Amarillo, TX, Jared Koller and Samantha Huddleston both of Amarillo, TX; the mother of his sons Cory and Jason, Tonia Hittson and husband Jack of Amarillo, TX; his precious grandchildren, Emory, Farrah, Hiram, and Evelyn; his sister, Cathy J. and husband Richard Barajas of El Paso, TX, and brother Timothy and wife Shari Huddleston of Kalkaska, MI. He is also survived by several nieces and nephews.
He is preceded in death by his grandparents and the countless fish he pulled out of cold mountain lakes and streams.
His career spanned almost half a century at the Pantex Plant and other Department of Energy sites where he worked as a civil servant to preserve the national security and environmental safety for all Americans. Dennis began working at the Pantex Plant in 1978 as a production technician. He worked his way up through a variety of roles and retired from Pantex in 2014 as the Manager of the Projects Division. He left Pantex for a few of the years between 1978 and 2014 to work at the Hanford Site in Washington and Rocky Flats in Colorado. After leaving Pantex, Dennis went to work at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) outside of Carlbad, NM. He very recently retired from WIPP and had just begun working for BWXT Technologies, Inc., based in Lynchburg, VA. He was a dedicated professional who believed in the value of hard work and was always eager to tackle big problems. Dennis achieved numerous accomplishments during his career. He enjoyed the challenges of the work but especially enjoyed the friendships built with so many outstanding people.
Dennis had many talents and interests and was always eager to learn something new. He enjoyed woodworking, home improvement projects, the writings of Louis L’amour, Old West culture and history, antiques, photography, and Civil War history to name just a few. He was a handyman and could fix about anything. He and his wife spent countless hours working together on house or barn projects, and he taught her many construction skills. He loved animals and never complained when his wife took in one more stray, or raise orphaned rabbits and chipmunks and baby birds that had fallen out of their nests. He had a quick wit and could always be counted on for a good laugh.
He loved the outdoors as all who knew him could tell by his perpetual tan. His favorite vacation was the annual family tradition of camping, fishing, hiking, and 4-wheeling around Creede and Lake City, CO. Most of all, though, he enjoyed spending time with his family. His sense of adventure lives on in his children, who continue to look for the dragon he told them hides under Cheyenne Mountain. Dennis was dearly loved by his family and friends. He will be greatly missed. In the end, he died like he lived: complaining about sitting still.
His remains will be cremated and interred at some of his favorite fishing holes where he will continue to terrorize local fish populations along with his father-in-law, Duane Stoddard, and wife's uncle, Benny Smith, who went before him.
A Celebration of Life is scheduled for 11:30 AM on Saturday, February 22, at Yellow Rock Events, 4100 FM 1151, Amarillo, TX. Dress how you want, and sharing a story or memory would be greatly appreciated by his wife and family.
In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the American Heart Association, WildlifeWarriors.org.AU, or your favorite charity.
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