Son of Sam & Pearl Denny, Tom was born at the old Phoenix Indian Medical Center on October 8, 1944. He is survived by his siblings Ferrol Black Elk, Beverly Denny, and Jesse White. and predeceased by his brother Steven White.
Although raised primarily in Phoenix, Tom enjoyed many summers in Montana. He attended Central High School for a few years and graduated from Page High School. After high school, he was awarded a Navajo Tribal Scholarship to Arizona State College in Flagstaff, Arizona, which is now known as Northern Arizona University (NAU).
Tom was fortunate to meet his future wife, Irma Torres, in college and they married on January 27, 1968. Upon graduating from NAU, Tom began teaching at Monrovia High School in California. From there, he moved back to Arizona and taught in Winslow, AZ and then also in Douglas, AZ, where his two children, Nicole & Christopher, were born. During this time, he also completed his Masters Degree in Industrial Education from NAU.
New job opportunities arose and Tom moved his family back to Phoenix where he began working at Phoenix Job Corps for 25 years until his retirement. As an accomplished woodworker, Tom taught many woodworking classes over his career. After his retirement, Tom continued to teach as a substitute teacher in the Osborn School District & Phoenix Job Corps, completing his 50th year of teaching in 2018.
In addition to being devoted to his family and friends, and being the most humorous man in the room, Tom was proud of his Native American culture, and was passionate about sports (particularly baseball and football), trains, space, fishing for lunkers and Star Wars.
Tom is lovingly survived by his wife of 50 years, Irma (Torres) Denny, his daughter, Nicole Denny Zorn (David), his son Christopher Denny (Joanna), his three grandchildren, Ethan, Abigail, & Andrew, and many nieces and nephews.
Tom’s Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, November 3rd beginning with a Gathering at 1:30 p.m. followed by the Service at 2:00 p.m. at Greenwood Mortuary (719 N. 27th Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85009). A Reception will follow at the Phoenix Indian School Visitor Center. 300 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix, AZ 85012
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