Dennis Dawson Stouffer

Dennis “Denny” Dawson Stouffer broke all of our hearts when he died suddenly on June 6, 2023, at home in Fort Collins, Colorado. He was only 72 years young. Those who truly knew him loved him fiercely and without bounds because, in our eyes, he was simply one of the best people on the planet. Perhaps in the end he was just too good for this crazy world. Denny was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1951 to Beverly and Ned Stouffer (deceased) but spent some of his childhood in Virginia with his brother, Kenneth Stouffer (Lois) and twin sisters, Janice Mead (Todd) and Linda Stouffer (Peter Forss), and then serendipitously moved to Colorado during his high school years. He had become such a good baseball player (shortstop) that he was invited to a try-out camp by a scout of a major league baseball team in his senior year of high school but turned it down. After he graduated from Arapahoe High School, he moved on to play football for Colorado State University. Sadly, he injured his knee badly, and that injury plagued him for the rest of his life. “Shoulda stuck with baseball!” he later said. However, he would subsequently take up golf, which became a life-long Passion (yes, with a capital P), and he has 6 holes in one to prove it! A natural-born rebel with a big heart, Dennis was also a lover of terrible jokes, could remember any joke told to him, and would repeat them often, sometimes to the chagrin of those around him. Although stodgy people were periodically repelled by his sense of humor, more lighthearted people were charmed, including Deborah “Debbie” Stouffer, his wife of 25 years with whom he raised three adoring (and adorable) children. His daughters, Kresta Grabau (Scott), Libby Laplante (Robert), and Nora Stouffer (Pat Taffe) were the lights of his life, and he was theirs. As adults, Dad told them that they were his greatest accomplishments, and he was very proud of them. With a mischievous twinkle in his eye, he teasingly took no small credit for the people they had become; but of course, he was right to. It was unusual to end a conversation with Dad without saying “I love you.” He always emphasized the importance of being honest, for standing up for what is right, and for protecting the vulnerable, including animals. Pets were treated with love and respect, and after losing Juicy (the dog), Bubba (the cat), and Suzy Q (the cat), Dad mourned them like family. He also taught his daughters to love and support each other. Unfortunately, none of them inherited his talent for telling jokes. On the other hand, and very fortunately, they didn’t inherit his love for Miracle Whip. Dennis is also survived by his grandchildren, Reece and Esmee Laplante. “Pops” enthusiastically looked forward to news of their activities in California. Reece is great at baseball, and Esmee has a wicked sense of humor—just like their Pops. His Wyoming granddaughter, Catherine Mae Stephens, was his newest delight. She was always eager for a dance party or to practice golf with Pops in the living room. Pops loved his grandchildren with a love so grand, including his prematurely born baby granddaughter, Molly Grabau, who died in 2011. All work and no play made Denny a dull boy, or at least that’s what he believed. Of course, he did what he had to do and had various jobs through the years including working for Kodak, owning a custodial business, and working for the City of Loveland. In later years, he was a Manager for Larimer County Facilities, where he met his partner in love, Sonja Isakson. They spent many, many happy years together having fun and adventures—traveling in Europe, Canada and the beaches of Mexico, hiking, skiing, watching movies and football games, seeing shows, taking trips to golf and to see family, and otherwise, playing a lot of golf. A LOT of golf. Denny loved road trips and once, when his kids were young, the family sold everything, bought a van, and toured the country for an entire summer, even bringing the family cat along! (Don’t worry, she lived to a ripe old age.) In later years, Denny would frequently reminisce about that trip with much fondness. In fact, Dennis loved many things, including golf (did we mention golf??), snacking on pistachios and pumpkin seeds, rooting for the underdog, playing chess, the Beatles, philosophizing, finding new shows to watch, and eating ice cream. And there were also things he couldn’t stand, like narrow-mindedness, bigotry, wearing a suit, not having charge of the remote, and being fussed over. In our collective minds, we can hear him saying, “Wrap it up, wrap it up. What’s all the commotion about?” But we must pay homage to our favorite Denny/Dad/Pops/Best Friend/Golfer Extraordinaire/Awesome Human who lived passionately, laughed abundantly, and loved generously. There are many potential ways to celebrate him, but sending flowers is not one—he thought your money was better spent elsewhere. Instead, if so moved, commemorate him by doing some of his other favorite things: By spending a day on the couch in your towel recovering from your exploits, or by donating to your favorite charity or local youth golf, or by taking your loved one out to dinner or splurging on a nice steak at home, or going to a movie or watching a movie at home with a nice cocktail and some homemade popcorn, or wearing some crazy socks and going commando. Whatever you do, indulge in your Passion and “always look on the bright side of life!” There will be a Celebration of Dennis Stouffer’s Life at Collindale Golf Course’s CB & Pott’s Hall of Fame room on Sunday, June 25 at 2 pm. Yes, there will be songs by The Beatles playing and some of Denny’s favorite snacks to nosh on. We would love for anyone who knew him to come and share your best memories of him, and it wouldn’t hurt to don some crazy socks while you’re at it. Sorry, you’ll have to tell your own jokes.

Tributes

Dennis Dawson Stouffer

May 16, 1951 - June 6, 2023