Robert L Dennis

DENNIS, Robert L. Dennis, age 84, loving husband, father, grandfather and friend, passed away on August 20, 2014. He was born in Sanger, California on May 29, 1930 during the Depression to William Thomas Dennis and Gertie Mae (Lamb) Dennis. Mr. Dennis is survived by his wife Fung-Yun (Lisa) and her daughters, Elaine Schneider, Dianna Rancour, and his nine grandchildren; Kim, Darrell, Jr., Angella, Michael, Megan, Brandon, Alexander, Ethan, and Nathan. He is predeceased by his parents, his brothers Cecil, Estel, Bill, Charles, and sisters Annis Shoemaker, Eunice Bales, and Leota Odel; son David and his daughters Darlene Geiger and Fawn Whisman.Bob retired from Southern Bell in 1991 after 21 years in the Building Design and Construction Department; working with Architects, Engineering consultants, contractors and regulatory agencies to construct new buildings and modifications to existing buildings in the North Florida area. Before coming with Southern Bell in 1970, he worked in various military electronics and aerospace companies as an electronic system design engineer. He worked in the design and production phase of many of the early manned and unmanned space projects of the early 1960’s and on military aircraft systems for Vietnam in the late 1960’s. During those years he worked with such companies as General Dynamics Electronics Division, Rochester, New York; Ling Tempco Vought Missile Division, Dallas, Texas; Westinghouse Aerospace Division, Baltimore, Maryland; Honeywell Aerospace Division, St. Petersburg, Florida; Fairchild Hiller Aircraft Service Division, St. Augustine, Florida.He served in the Navy as an Aviation Electricians Mate for 9 years serving on 3 aircraft carriers during the Korean War years; the USS Shangri-La, USS Antietam, and the USS Ticonderoga. His last assignment was with Attack Squadron VA66. Due to a physical injury he was transferred to a disability status. While recuperating from his injuries he attended the Indiana Institute of Technology and earned his Electrical Engineering Degree, Majoring in Electronics. His first duty station in the Navy after boot camp was at Cecil Field in 1948 just in time to help get the base ready to re-commission. He decided that Jacksonville would be a good place to retire. So while working for Southern Bell in 1970 he started investing in real estate at the beaches and this gave him the activity he needed to feel content in retirement.