Dennis Ellengton Denning

Lovingly remembered, Dennis Ellengton Denning, age 64, of Reidsville, NC passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, May 3, 2020 while at his get-away home, Lake Gaston in Bracey, VA. 

Graveside Services will be at the Jesse F. Denning Family Cemetery on Friday, May 8th, at 2:00 pm with Reverend Ricky Lee officiating over the services.  Family, friends and neighbors are welcome to attend the service while following social distancing guidelines.    

Dennis was born on November 11, 1955 in Goldsboro, North Carolina, the son of Clarence W. and Mae (Westbrook) Denning.  He grew up in Grantham Township, worked hard as a young boy in the tobacco fields on neighboring farms and graduated from Grantham School.  Then he left home and joined his brothers in Richmond, Virginia, working for Glidewell Brothers, Inc., Industrial Group Contractors where he quickly learned the ropes of the business.

Dennis always had a strong work ethic as did all of his sibling growing up on a very small farm in rural North Carolina when “Tobacco was King”.  Times were lean and hard work was easy to find, but there was very little pay in it.   This humble beginning drove Dennis to make hard work his main purpose in life and he did.  He left Glidewell Brothers, moved to Reidsville, NC and established Denning Paint in 1974 at the young age of 19 years.   He struggled in his early efforts but he remained steadfast in these past 46 years and built one of the most sought-after and reputable commercial/industrial and residential painting services in Reidsville, NC and the surrounding area.   We, the Denning family, are all so very proud of all his accomplishments.

Dennis also enjoyed cooking out with his family and friends on a weekend when he wasn’t working.  Dennis was most often seen in his Denning Paint vans; however, his favorite ride was his 2010 red Corvette convertible.  He often visited family and enjoyed karaoke, dancing, always the life of the party.  Another favorite pastime was buying lottery tickets, especially when he was buying winning tickets and he often did!     

Dennis is survived by his four sons:  James Albertson (Tina Faye) of Troy, NC, Dennis W. aka Pork Chop Denning (his fiancé, Magen Collins), twin sons, Dylan and Matthew Denning and a stepdaughter, Katie Bullins (Christopher) all of Reidsville, NC; his five grandchildren, Crystal Albertson of Goldsboro, NC, Kylee, Kimberly, Dennis Jr., and Baby Leyton Denning, “the apple of his Grandpa’s eyes”; his brothers, Laydon Denning (Lalon) of Mt. Olive, NC, Jessie (Ruth) Denning of Richmond, VA, Ed (Pansy) Denning of Roseboro, NC, Duke (Jean) Denning of Richmond, VA; sisters, Bernise (Bobby) Swiger of Mt. Olive, NC, and Betty Lou (Denning) Booska-Salmons (Ron) of Mexico, MO; and a host of loving nieces, nephews and cousins. 

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Ronda; sisters, Viola Mae Gilbert, Rochelle Denning and Janice Lee Denning. 

Memorial donations may be made to the charity of the donor’s choice in his memory. 

A Celebration of Dennis’s Life will be held at a later date at Wilkerson Funeral Home in Reidsville, NC.

Shumate-Faulk Funeral Home and Crematory is serving the Denning family, and online condolences may be sent to www.shumate-faulk.com.

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