John Dennis

John Dennis came from strong Irish stock. He was a man who loved deeply, cared strongly and believed whole-heartedly in synchronicity. He followed his dreams, both figuratively and literally. He always travelled the road less taken, which was what made his life the grand adventure that it was.

He enjoyed the journey of living and reveled in the possibility, promise and potential of every encounter. With each idea, interaction and project, he strove to leave an indelible mark on his communities and make the world a better place.

John believed in the goodness of others and always sought to see people’s good qualities and give them the benefit of the doubt. He saw and understood that we are only as strong as our connections to each other. He would often say how lucky he was to have the family and devoted friends he had, and what a blessing his life was. He perpetually felt like the luckiest man in the world.

John was the oldest of five and adored each of his four siblings dearly. He treasured most being the father of his six children, whom he cherished, loved and cared for so completely and with every fiber of his body and soul. He fully embraced their chosen husbands, wives and partners as the Dennis clan grew.

He will forever be the “Papa” of 13 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren who were his everything and for whom he unfailingly generated adventures, whimsy, far-fetched tall tales and endless silly songs. He found and created, magical moments and places. His sense of humor, curiosity, creativity, joy, awe, empathy and capacity for boundless caring will live on through all of them.

John was a phenomenal whistler, a master pumpkin carver and an avid lawn-game player. He swore by his daily calisthenics and his cheater’s diet; he never met a dessert he didn’t like. He had a hearty, contagious laugh. He relished in mischief and tomfoolery. He was funny, witty and a master of puns. He had an uncanny sense of direction, and his penmanship was second-to-none.

Born in Manchester, N.H., John moved to Connecticut, Chicago, Maine, Vermont, Indiana and eventually landed back in Vermont for good in 2016. His list of professional endeavors and accomplishments are too many to name, but he was a prolific writer — memoirs, poems, political speeches, musical productions, marketing for various health, youth and senior organizations and initiatives, and countless children’s books, plays and animated-shorts.

As a jack of all trades and master of some, he worked many odd and wildly varied jobs and careers while honing and pursuing his writing craft, eventually earning a doctorate in communications and social marketing from Union Institute later in life. Writing was John’s lifeblood, and his wife, Melanie, was his muse, editor, costumer, actress, accountant, cheerleader, critic and biggest supporter every step of the way.

If you lived in Johnson, you likely saw them strolling regularly through town, arm-in-arm, and that is the way they walked through life. John would often attribute his successes and longevity to his devoted wife. Sharing John’s belief in the transformative power of story, Melanie watched over him all their years together, knowing he would rather write than eat or sleep, fostering infinite space and time to envision, explore and create.

They both held the importance of seeing the magic in the world and dedicated their lives to forever growing the circle of love that started with the two of them and encompassed their collective families, their children and their children’s families, and countless numbers of friends, colleagues, community members of all sorts and acquaintances. Their love was vast, and their hope was deep, and collectively that is their shared legacy.

Jackie, Jack, John, John darling, Dad, Grampy, Papa will be missed; there’s just no way around that. But he will be remembered and celebrated as a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle, son, father-figure to many and dedicated friend. Even if you weren’t fortunate enough to know him, please know that the world is a better place because he was in it for his time.

John’s family would be remiss not to acknowledge the tremendous resource John and his family had access to during the last six months of his life. The collective compassion, kindness, professionalism and patience of every staff member of Lamoille Home Health and Hospice made all the difference in allowing us to honor and care for John at home to the very end.

A celebration of life will be held on a future date when the family can make plans and arrangements.

Because John dedicated most of his life and writing career to advocating and creating for kids and seniors, in lieu of flowers please make a donation in his name to Lamoille Home Health and Hospice or the Lamoille Family Center, or any local-to-you child or senior-centered organization of your choice.