I have been very fortunate to have spent at least 40 years with my brother Dennis. Right from the get-go we shared a special bond. He was my protector, my mentor, my shoulder to lean on but mostly my friend. Growing up, both Rod & I looked up to Dennis - he was the leader and we were the followers. When I was 5 years, Dennis had this brilliant idea that it would be fun to climb on the roof of the house. He carefully helped Rod & I get up to the roof, held us while we were up there to ensure we didn't fall and helped us both get down safely. We did this numerous times neglecting the babysitters plea's to "Stop It". In our minds this was just plain fun however Mom & Dad didn't think so. Needless to say we got in big trouble when they got home and unfortunately Dennis took the brunt of it. Growing up, Dennis really paved a path for a more lenient upbringing for Rod and I. Creatively speaking we were quite similar, Dennis had a knack for art as illustrated by his lovely wall murals which he had to scrub off with Comet and so did I. In high school, he took commercial art and so did I. When it came to Music, Dennis knew his artists. The on-going game through the years was "who's singing"? Every time we were in the car "who's singing" was the game. As a matter of fact, Dennis actually got Mom & Dad involved in this game only in Dad's car it was country and in Mom's car it was easy listening. We soon learned our artists be it Rock, Heavy Metal, Country, Folk or Easy Listening. Though I always looked up to Dennis, my greatest level of respect for him developed when I entered my rebellious, lippy teenage years when I soon learned that I couldn't out-run him. Thank goodness these were short lived years as I'm a fast learner and he was a good teacher not to mention he was 2 ½ times my size and 5 times stronger. Dating was a challenge with Dennis (AKA Duke) and his buddy Doug (AKA Stretch) around. They were going to make sure that whoever dated me had the best intentions - otherwise my date would have to deal with the both of them. Now, Stretch is about 6 ' 6" and his hands were 3 times the size of mine and Dennis wasn't exactly "Tiny" which was a little intimidating to average eye. Once again, Dennis was just looking out for his little Sis. When I was suffering from a broken heart, Dennis provided a listening ear and took me for a spin on his motorcycle to get my mind off things. When Dennis moved out to what I called the "Haunted House" on the acreage on 30th his place always beckoned weekly visits from Rod, I and many of our friends. I called it the Haunted House because it had mice in the walls, bat's in the attic, salamanders in the basement and moles in the lawn. Regardless, Dennis's house was our house. We spent many late evenings playing games such as Risk, to hot tub parties, to joking around and having a few laughs, to serious conversations of what do you want to be when you grow up. These were very special times that left many fond memories etched within our impressionable minds. In my early adult years, Dennis would call me up and we would often meet for lunch or when Dad was still alive we would all meet at the Elks Lodge on Saturday afternoon for lunch and the meat draw. We spent many Saturday's as a family at the Elks enjoying each other's company, having a few laughs and hopefully going home with some nice steaks to barbeque for supper that evening. Dennis helped me fix my first car which I called the "Dat-wreck". I could tell everybody "Dat-Wreck" over there in the parking lot is mine. It was a Datson B210 which had no floor boards, went through a tank of gas every two weeks but ate a liter of oil every day. We had to rivet some sheet metal to the underside of the vehicle so it wasn't a "Fred Flintstone" car. Dennis was the "Go-To" person for numerous things. From car problems, to computer equipment & the glitches that follow, to electronics, to just plain old advice - his knowledge and recommendations would normally be the solution I needed and would follow. In my youth, Dennis didn't come on too many family vacations, primarily because he intended on having a Kegger while we were away. You know "When the Cat's away - the Mouse will play". However in my adult years Mom & I enjoyed and shared numerous vacations with Dennis. From Golfing in Lake Tahoe, to visiting Pearl Harbor in Oahu, to Touring the Big Island of Hawaii once with Woody and another time with Darcy, Linda and Jay. When Dennis was on holidays in Hawaii, he was in his glory. He actually liked to shop for souvenirs in these foreign lands which initially surprised me as he was someone who normally didn't like to shop unless it was Princess Automotive or an electronic store. These were great times. We always got along so well and I cannot recall any time I ever had any argument with him beyond my rebellious teenage years. He was a loyal and supportive brother who could always put a smile on my face with his quick come-backs and warped sense of humor. I know he has certainly made a difference in my life and I have been very blessed for having such a wonderful brother and friend! I will dearly miss him and know I will see him again "someday"..