Dennis L. Vickers was lost to us February 7, 2018. Dennis was born 11-27-1945 in Tacoma WA moving to Bellingham for a short while before his family settled in Grand Terrace Southern CA. His high school years included working for his mother at Florence’s Gift shop as well as involvement with FFA where he showed Herford’s including his beloved Peanuts who would follow him like a dog! Dennis graduated from Colton High School in 1964 where worked a stint in a grinder shop, a machinist at Bourne’s where he proudly machined a washer for an astronaut helmet, and then read meters at So Cal Gas for a couple years before moving on to his calling in sales at TCP carpets in 1972.
After graduating Colton High school, he married his first wife Ronnie at 20 years of age and they had his first son Rodney (Rod) Dean Vickers. Dennis was a child at heart and taught his son Rod how to play and be playful, building forts, creating villages at the beach in Mexico and building model cars. He was all in, like a kid and showed that joy to his son Rod and all who met him as me matured in life. He loved both street and dirt motorcycles and was an enthusiastic rider until a serious accident at age 30 damaged his knee. He shifted his enthusiasm to vehicles that had at least 2 doors and a roof after that!
Dennis worked for TCP carpets and eventually moved up to territory sales for various carpet manufacturers servicing Southern Ca. and Nevada. He later moved to Eugene Oregon in 1983 working for Philadelphia Carpets where he met his soon to be wife Anita while she worked at the Philadelphia Carpets distribution center in Kent. Dennis and Anita married in 1987 and moved to Seattle. In 1990 Dennis and Anita welcomed their son Chance into the family. Dennis loved fishing with his son, hunting with friends - although he never caught an elk or deer! He was clearly there for the comradery and views more than the hunt! He was a fan of fast cars & boats and loved spending time watching formula one racing or the hydroplanes. He spent many years heading down to the pits with Chance to wander the docks admiring the hydros and meeting other racing enthusiasts. Dennis and Chance spent years racing their own miniature hydro models assembled together in their garage. Dennis donated a significant amount of his time volunteering at numerous events and field trips with and for his son Chance while he attended St Anthony’s grade school.
Dennis had many passions and allowed himself very little idle time. He needed to stay busy and if he had no project in the works, he cleaned. He prided himself in maintaining a pristine yard, tidy home and most notoriously his spotless cars (inside and out!). Dennis would spend weekends washing and waxing the cars for hours - regardless of the weather conditions - affording family and friend’s years of amusement! Dennis’s greatest passion though was his golfing. No day was a bad day to golf. And no amount of or frequency was too great! He cherished his time with his dear friend Brad golfing all around Washington, Oregon and Idaho. They calculated approximately 154 different courses over the years. He introduced his son Chance to the game of golf when he was very young as well, enjoying many days on the links watching proudly as Chance developed his skills. Dennis continued to work hard, play hard and socialize vigorously until his retirement from the carpet mill industry in 2008 due to his diagnosis with Alzheimer’s. But even then Dennis would not slow down. He went right back out and volunteered at the Maple Valley Food bank for another 2+ years until he was unable to drive himself to and from the facility.
Dennis was the person who would step in and offer help no matter the situation or conditions. No relocation was complete without help from Dennis and the antics that came with! And no holiday or family get together went by where Dennis wasn’t offering help. He was the singularly most cherished designated dish washer at every Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner. Dennis brought unbridled laughter and color to every event, every get together or encounter he had with family, friends and even strangers. Dennis was a person that folks were drawn to and couldn’t stop smiling in the company of. He genuinely liked everyone and made friends with anyone. He found joy in simple moments and maintained calm during the big ones! He had such an infectious laugh that even the sorriest of storytelling would leave you in hysterics. Dennis loved laughter and seemed driven to bring that same joy to all of us around him. Dennis is survived by his wife of 30 years Anita, sons Chance and Rodney, daughter in law Cyndi, grandson Smith, sister Rosalie Ludwig, sister in law Kim Cavaletto-Libri, nieces Angelina and Antonia Libri, mother in law Jacqueline Ianniello, father in law Robert R Libri as well as numerous cousins, nieces, nephews and extended family.
Dennis will be sorely missed by us all, his bigger than life spirit will be remembered always, and his legacy of laughter and joy should be carried forward by all who loved him. Remembrances in Dennis’ name can be made to support Alzheimer’s research and patients care or family support.
Celebration of life will be Friday, February 16, 2018, at 2:00pm with a reception to follow.
Greenwood Memorial Park
350 Monroe Ave NE
Renton, WA. 98056
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