Dennis took a class of self-exploration and one’s place in the universe in 2007 through his church. The following obituary was written by him to fulfill an assignment for that class. The end was updated to cover his life since that time.
What a charmed life this lucky guy led. He married the right woman, had the wonderful career, played and hung-out with great friends, and enjoyed some fun hobbies.
Dennis Ray Hands, 68, of Greensboro, died Wednesday evening, January 1, 2020, while dining with friends. A celebration of his life will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greensboro with the Rev. Sadie Lansdale officiating at a date yet to be determined.
Dennis enjoyed sharing the wonder of astronomy with others. He helped build the Cline Observatory at Guilford Tech and there on Friday nights or in Center City Park during the first quarter Moon, he had fun showing people the sky. Dennis was heard to say that he could never look at Saturn for the first time, again. But he could be present when someone else did, and smiled when young and old said “Ooo…” while looking through the telescope.
He was a pretty good motorcyclist, too. When someone asked, “How many accidents have you had?” Dennis would often reply that the answer would depend on the definition of the word “accident.” Dennis and his wife Barbara have been long-time members of the local Gold Wing chapter and spent many days crisscrossing the country on his bike.
In his later years, Dennis organized a church softball team and played with friends and colleagues in the Greensboro Parks and Recreation leagues. He once even tried to recruit Trudy, an octogenarian member of this church! That provided many laughs. Dennis never hit a homerun, but was pretty good at getting on base, despite his ungainly gait.
His church community was the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greensboro. Dennis served as usher, covenant group facilitator, worked on several committees, and was the President of the congregation for three years. Why those kind folks kept re-electing him is another of the great mysteries of his rich and full life.
Dennis taught social studies at Jackson Junior High for ten years then social studies and astronomy at Grimsley High School for twenty years. He had such marvelous students that he was brave (crazy?) enough to take groups on an annual field trip to New York City. The only casualty there was once losing (and later finding) a student at the top of the Empire State Building. Dennis always was grateful to his students for allowing him to be the “lead student” in their intellectual development.
Dennis enjoyed a good battle, so he was an active member of the American Federation of Teachers, the teachers’ real union. Many friendships were forged while Dennis fought to improve the working conditions of students and teachers.
After retiring from Grimsley, his wife Barbara claimed that he was a “distraction” around the house, so she insisted that he find some part-time employment. He worked as a Science Instructor at the Greensboro Natural Science Center from 2004 until 2009 sharing animals, weather lessons, and all kinds of information with the elementary school field trips that would come through
Dennis met Barbara at Appalachian State University in 1971, in an Astronomy class of all places. After a whirlwind romance and courtship, they were married less than a year later. while still students.
They enjoyed watching movies, going to baseball games, traveling and discussing ethics and morality. She’s an “absolutist,” while he was a “cultural relativist.” Enough said?
He was one lucky guy.
In 2008 Dennis began teaching Astronomy at High Point University, The following is their tribute to him.
On January 1, 2020, our department lost our friend, colleague, valued astronomy professor, and chief comet maker, Mr. Dennis Hands. We will remember his passion for learning, his passion for teaching, and his passion for making Earth a better place for all of us. He was incredibly kind and gentle and was also a constant force for good in the world. May we all similarly dedicate ourselves to a life of service.
Dennis Hands started teaching astronomy at High Point University in 2008. He invited speakers and organized a series of seminars in astronomy in Spring 2009, Fall 2009, and Spring 2010 which he called "HPUniverse Day." Of course, eventually that turned into an even larger event in Fall 2014, and he became our annual comet chef. In 2015, Dennis received the outstanding teacher award from the freshman class at High Point University. It is exceedingly rare for an adjunct professor to receive such an award and is evidence of how exceptional Dennis was.
We are made of stardust. In Dennis' case, it seems that it was all gold. We will both miss and celebrate our friend, teacher, and comet chef, Dennis Hands.
Dennis is survived by his wife of 48 years, Barbara, his mother Kathryn, his siblings Diane, Steve, and David, and their spouses, along with several nieces, nephews, and grand nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (https://www.michaeljfox.org/).
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