Denny Bartol Dennison

Denny Bartol Dennison, 77, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Thursday, May 9, 2024, in Lake Charles, Louisiana where he resided for the last 48 years. He is survived by his wife Lavonne “Cookie” Johnson White Dennison of Lake Charles; sons Bradley Bartol Dennison and wife, Kimberly, of Houston, TX, Jason “Jace” Douglas Johnson of New Orleans, and Christian Charles White and wife, Faren, of Lake Charles; daughters Bethany Ashton Johnson Wolf and husband, Josh, of Las Vegas, NV, Amy Johnson Marshall, and husband, Chris, of Pasadena, CA, and Kelly White Allain, and husband, Jeff, of Lake Charles; his grandsons Trevor Wolf, Jacob Wolf, Alexander Dennison, and August White; his granddaughters Kaitlynn Wolf, Victoria Dennison, Jane Marshall, Ava Marshall, Nina White, Lila White, Evangeline Allain, and Simone Allain;  great-grandchildren Brayden Wolf, Archer Wolf, Joshua Wolf, and Dawson Wolf; nephews Greg Kainz of Orlando, Jeff Kainz of Melbourne, FL; and niece Vivian Menge Gallo of Jacksonville, FL. He is predeceased by his wife of 28 years, Jane Price Johnson Dennison; his sisters Sandy Dennison Menge and Brenda Dennison Kainz; his brothers-in-law M.J. Menge and Roger Kainz; his nephew Randall “Randy” Menge; and his grandsons Roman White and Ellison Marshall.

Denny was the son of Barbara Edes Dennison Wentworth and Maurice “Den” Bartol Dennison, and was born and grew up in Orlando, Florida. He raised livestock alongside his two sisters and proudly participated in 4H at Orlando’s Edgewater High School. Denny then attended the University of Florida in Gainesville where he obtained an undergraduate degree in Agricultural Economics and a deep love for Gator sports. While a student, he was an active member of the Theta Chi fraternity and met Kathleen Mulvey; they married in 1969 after he graduated. Denny passed the CPA exam and joined Ernst & Ernst in 1971, and then welcomed his son Bradley in 1974. He moved his family to Lake Charles, LA, in 1976 to accept an opportunity with Theriot, Milford and Dunn, specializing in oil and gas tax accounting. He remained there until starting his own accounting firm.

Though his marriage to Kathleen ended in 1979, he doted on his son and welcomed a new family when he met and married Jane in 1981.  Denny was a brilliant tax accountant and worked diligently in that field until his retirement in 2021. In addition to his strong work ethic, Denny quietly served as a volunteer bookkeeper for the St. Louis Catholic Foundation from 1983 to 2021, not so quietly but just as effectively as a boys soccer and girls basketball coach, and was an active member of Kiwanis Club for several decades. His deep appreciation for his Christian faith led him to be a lector at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception where he was blessed to meet Cookie after being widowed in 2010.  The two married in 2018 and recently celebrated their sixth wedding anniversary.

Witty, wise, and caring, Denny was a steadfast example to his community of a devoted father and husband and will be missed sorely by those he leaves behind. His funeral will be 10am on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral with burial to follow in Graceland Cemetery. Visitation will be 6-8pm Monday at Johnson Funeral Home of Lake Charles with Rosary at 6:30pm.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the St. Louis Catholic Foundation’s Jane and Denny Dennison endowed scholarship.