Dr. James Denninghoff

Dr. James C. Denninghoff, age 89, of Columbia, MO, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, April 25, 2015 in Columbia. He was born on September 13, 1925 in LaCrosse, WI, the son of Lucia (Blank) and Rev. Louis Denninghoff. He married Eloise Guffy on May 29, 1949 in Cherokee, OK; she preceded him in death in 2004. He married Lucille Salerno in 2005.

James was a rifleman in WWII in the 100th Division, Infantry, serving in Germany and France. He graduated from University of Wichita and was accepted into medical school at Washington University. After receiving his medical training in St. Louis, he practiced internal medicine in Columbia from 1957 to 1990. He was a founding member of Trinity Presbyterian Church. His many interests included trains large and small, cars old and new, photography, travel, reading, music, fixing any nonworking item, telling knock-knock jokes and playing with his grandchildren.

Survivors include his wife, Lucille Salerno; his daughters, Carol Denninghoff and Cynthia (Igor) Chernyakhovsky; son, James S. (Amy) Denninghoff; 8 grandchildren, Caroline Casati, Alexander, Elizabeth, and David Chernyakhovsky, Sarah, Joanna (Ben Frissell), Molly, and Will Denninghoff, and a great grandson, Henry Holmes. He was preceded in death by his first wife, his parents, and two brothers, Phillip and George.

Visitation will be from 10-11am, Friday, May 1, at Memorial Funeral Home in Columbia. Funeral Services will be at 11 am at the funeral home followed by military honors at the gravesite. There will be an open luncheon at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 1600 W. Rollins Road, Columbia at 12:30 pm. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Brotherhood Fund at Trinity Presbyterian Church, Osher Lifelong Learning, or the Missouri Symphony Society.