Dennis Lyle Daniel

With sadness in our hearts, we announce the passing of Dennis Lyle Daniel, age 73. Though sudden, he passed away peacefully in his home in the presence of his wife Lou, on Friday morning, October 3, 2025, in Englewood, CO.

Dennis was born on February 27, 1952, in Laramie, Wyoming. At the age of five he and his family moved to Englewood, Colorado, which became his permanent place of residence. Throughout his journey here on earth Dennis was so many things to so many people. He was a son, a brother, a husband, a dad, a papa, an uncle, a cousin and a friend. He is survived by his loving wife Lou; two daughters, Wendy and Jennifer; daughter-in-law, Andrea; four grandchildren, Diego, Jack, Emma and Ava; sister Sandra and brother Ron as well as many friends and extended family members who will miss him dearly. Dennis was preceded in death by both of his parents, Marjorie and Walt.

For Dennis, his family was the most significant aspect of his life story. He was a loving and devoted husband to his wife and best friend of 54+ years, Lou, with whom he shared a deep and everlasting soul connection that began at the ages of 15 and 16. They got married right after high school on August 27, 1971, and became parents just two years later in 1973 to their eldest daughter Wendy and then again in 1977 to their youngest Jennifer. He was a proud and dedicated father to his girls and never missed an important event that they participated in from academics to sports and was often the loudest parent in the stands or on the sidelines cheering them on or keeping the referees on their toes. He and Lou were determined to provide them with the best opportunities for success through private schooling and they volunteered countless hours at their school to make it happen. He was so happy and excited to see both of them attend CU Boulder and became and remained the most enthusiastic CU Buffs fan in support of their college alma mater. He truly loved and admired both of them with his whole heart. In 2000, Dennis became a grandpa for the first time to his eldest grandson, Diego. He was so ecstatic to finally have a little boy to spoil and just four years later his second grandson Jack was born and he was over the moon. Soon to follow his heart became completely full with the births of his two beautiful granddaughters, Emma and Ava. Dennis was an extremely loving and doting grandfather, known as Papa, to his four grandkids. He seized every opportunity to spend time with them and boasted to anyone he spoke to about them. He loved watching them grow and flourish and truly adored each one of them. He enjoyed taking them for rides in his black 1997 convertible Mustang with the top down and country music playing, filling up the big blow up pool he had just for them in his backyard, giving high fives that always turned into long squeezes and holding hands, filling their bellies with special treats like banana popsicles and his homemade chocolate chip cookies, playing catch, going on walks to the neighborhood Koi pond and taking them on day trips to places like Estes Park for special picnics and a day that filled his heart with more joy than words can express because he was the first to put a fishing pole in their tiny hands. On the day that his Papa passed, Jack went fishing at Horsetooth Reservoir after having gone several times with no luck and sure enough, he finally caught one. He likes to think that his Papa got him that one that day. He was the absolute best Papa and his grandkids were the lights of his life.

Dennis worked as an operating engineer for 35 years until a knee injury at work eventually forced him into early retirement. Dennis kept himself busy and filled his days doing things he enjoyed like keeping his yard looking immaculate and their cars pristinely clean. He was always fixing or trying to improve something around the house or in the shed. He spent as much quality time as possible with his grandkids and always attended their special events. He looked forward to every birthday, holiday and family gathering and was typically behind the camera more than in front of it capturing countless memories. He enjoyed going for long day drives especially to his favorite fishing spots like Jefferson Lake, Fairplay Beach and Estes Park or even just along Trail Ridge Road if it was open, any opportunity to be behind the wheel and go on an adventure. Family vacations across the country were always road trips which included an annual trip to the hot springs in Glenwood Springs and frequent trips through the San Luis Valley to where Lou was born in Del Norte. He and Lou continued to travel to all of their favorite places with Las Vegas being at the top of their list.

Dennis truly had a heart of gold, always showing the utmost interest in others. He was always willing to lend a helping hand if anyone was in need. He was the epitome of an extrovert and could strike up a conversation with anyone. He would know just about everything about you within minutes. He was also an avid sports fan and everyone knew they could call him any day of the week to talk about any team, their stats, their players and coaches, especially his favorite team, the CU Buffaloes. His other top teams were the Denver Broncos, the Denver Nuggets and the Colorado Rockies. It was rare to ever see him not wearing a hat or a shirt representing one of these teams. His phone calls and texts asking if we were watching the game or what we thought of it will be greatly missed and cherished. For many of us, watching these games will never be the same.

Dad will surely be remembered for his beaming smile, his exuberant personality and his contagious laugh. He will forever be in our hearts.

A Celebration of Dennis’s Life will be held on Friday, October 24, 2025 at 11:00 AM at Olinger Chapel Hill, 6601 South Colorado Blvd, Centennial, CO, 80121. Following the Celebration of Life will be an Inurnment at 2:00 PM.

Visitation and Rosary will take place on Tuesday, October 21, 2025 from 5:00-7:00 PM.