Dennis P. Harlow

Dennis was born on October 19, 1954, to Raymond and Rita (Burke) Harlow in Central Islip, Long Island, N.Y. Dennis was the fourth of five children: Alice, Raymond, Gregory, Dennis, and Kenny. Shortly after birth, Dennis met his future wife, Mame (McEvoy), outside Saint John of God Church - the same church where they would one day wed in 1975.

Dennis began his education at St. John of God, R.C. Elementary School and graduated from St. John The Baptist Diocesan High School in West Islip. He attended SUNY New Paltz before transferring to SUNY Stony Brook, from which he graduated in 1979 with a bachelor's degree in Biology (with an emphasis in Ecology). His passion for science did not stop there, however, and he continued to study paleontology and astronomy for the rest of his life. One of his favorite activities was taking his children, and later his grandchildren, out to the Penn Dixie Fossil Park and Nature Reserve to fossil hunt or stargaze.

During Dennis' student years at Stony Brook he worked night shifts as a Therapy Aid at the Pilgrim Psychiatric Center. Dennis' kind and empathic care made him a much loved staff member.

Dennis began his career with the FAA as an Air Traffic Controller in Islip, NY, where he was the union representative for his station. This led to a promotion that brought his young family to Amherst, NY in 1990. Dennis was a stalwart employee, leading to his advancement over the years. He moved up the ranks, eventually to flight service supervisor. When his position was privatized, he moved with the job, and ultimately embarked on a state-hopping travel adventure in his later career. From Buffalo he moved back to Long Island, then to Virginia, then Kankakee, IL - where he was promoted to station manager - and then finally on to Raleigh-Durham, NC. All this time he traveled home to Buffalo every 10 days to see his beloved family, for whom he worked so hard. Dennis made good friends where ever he landed.

When he finally retired in 2018, Dennis moved home to Amherst to spend time doing the things he loved most. His number one passion was his grandchildren: caring for them, reading to them, and making sure they were getting a proper education in the fundamentals of rock and roll. Most afternoons, spring through fall, Dennis could be found out back at his workbench in the garage, listening to his mp3 player while the grandkids played around him in the yard.

The running joke was that Dennis' superpower was his likeability, but it was true. He had many friends and was quick to greet them with a box of doughnuts or his famous homemade cookies.

Dennis is survived by his wife, the former Mame McEvoy; their children Dennis (Karla), Robert, and Kate; three grandchildren; and two step-grandchildren.