Robert Eugene Dennis

ROBERT E. DENNIS, 76, PASSED AWAY ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2022, IN FLORIDA, SURROUNDEDBY HIS LOVING FAMILY.

HE WAS BORN ON OCTOBER 14TH 1945 IN CHICAGO, IL, TO PATRICIA AND EUGENE DENNIS. HE WAS THE THIRD OF FIVE CHILDREN. GROWINGUP IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO WAS NOT FOR THEFAINT OF THE HEART- WINTERS WERE BONECHILLING, HEAT WAS SPARSE, AND MONEY WASTIGHT. BUT BOB, TOUGH AS NAILS, WAS THE

ROCK OF HIS FAMILY AND DID EVERYTHING HE COULD TO PROTECT THEM AT ALL COSTS. TO MAKE ENDS MEET, HE DELIVERED PIZZAS AT ABRUZZIS, AND HIS PASSION FOR THE RESTAURANT BUSINESS CARRIED ON.

ROBERT PROUDLY, AND WITH DISTINCTION, SERVED HIS COUNTRY IN THE U.S. ARMY. UPON HIS RETURN, HE LANDED A JOB AT ZENITH, WHICH LED HIM TOHIS SOULMATE, MARIA DICOSTANZO OF NAPLES, ITALY. THE TWO SHARED A 12 YEAR AGE GAP ANDCOMPLETELY DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS, BUT ALOVE PURE LIKE NO OTHER. THE TWO MARRIED IN 1965, SPENT 49 YEARS TOGETHER AND SHARED THREE BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN- BOBBY, JOEY, AND TOMMY. THEIR BOYS WERE THEIR ABSOLUTE PRIDE AND JOY. THE FAMILY RESIDED BETWEEN THE NORTH SIDEOF CHICAGO AND DESPLAINES.

BOB SPENT HIS FREE TIME CHEERING ON HIS CHILDREN PLAYINGSPORTS, AS WELL AS PARTICIPATING IN VARIOUSSOFTBALL LEAGUES. HE PLAYED AS MANY NIGHTS A WEEK AS HE COULD-AND ALTHOUGH HE LOVED THE GAME, HIS FAVORITEPART OF ALL WAS POST GAME BUSTING BALLS ANDCRUSHING BUDWEISERS. THE FAMILY MOVED TO BURNSVILLE, MINNESOTA INTHE 80S WHERE THEY PROCEEDED TO RAISE THEIRKIDS.

BOB WORKED ON THE RAILROAD AS AN AUDITOR, AND TRAVELED FREQUENTLY. THE CHICAGO NATIVE LOVED THE QUAINTNESS OF THEMINNESOTA SUBURB AND THE GREAT GAME OF HOCKEY. THE FAMILY OPENED JOEY DS IN 1994, IN SOUTHMINNEAPOLIS, WHERE THEY BROUGHT A TASTE OFCHICAGO TO THEIR NEW HOME. BOBBY AND TOMMYBROUGHT TO LIFE THIS DREAM WITH HARD WORKAND DILIGENCE, AND IN YEARS PROCEEDING, JOEYDS BECAME A MINNEAPOLIS STAPLE. IN 2004, THEFAMILY TOOK THEIR SUCCESSES AND MOVED TOFLORIDA, WHERE THE RESTAURANT NOW HAS 4 LOCATIONS AND LOYAL PATRONS.

INTO BOB'S RETIREMENT, HE BALANCED THE RESTAURANT'S CHECKBOOKS AND SPENT HIS NIGHTS WATCHING THE CAMERAS, AND GETTINGPIZZAS DELIVERED TO HIS HOME AFTER HOURS. ONSUNNY DAYS, HE SAT POOL SIDE AND RECEIVEDFREQUENT VISITS FROM HIS LOVED ONES, ANDESPECIALLY LOVED VISITS FROM HIS GRANDCHILDREN.

ROBERT- BOB, SOME MAY KNOW HIM AS “THE CHIEF” OR “SHOOTER,” FOUGHT UNTIL THE VERY END AND WENT DOWN SWINGING, JUST AS WE ALL WOULD EXPECT HIM TO. HE WAS ONE OF A KIND, AND WILL BE MISSED DEARLY.

ROBERT IS SURVIVED BY HIS SON BOBBY, AND HIS WIFE, STEFFANIE DENNIS, THEIR CHILDREN, BOBBY AND SOPHIE, AND HIS SON TOMMY, AND HIS CHILDREN, LEXI AND JOEY, HIS GOD-SON, JOHNNY DICOSTANZO- AND MANY MORE NIECES AND NEPHEWS, WHOM HE LOVED LIKE HIS OWN, AND IS PREDECEASED IN DEATH BY HIS LOVING

WIFE MARIA AND SON JOEY.

FUNERAL MASS WILL COMMENCE ON OCTOBER 13TH- VIEWING WILL BE AT 10AM, FOLLOWED BY MASS AT 11AM AT MARY, MOTHER OF THE CHURCH, 3333 CLIFF RD E, IN BURNSVILLE.

ROBERT WILL BE LAID TO REST AT 1PM AT FT. SNELLING NATIONAL CEMETERY WITH HONORS.

WE HOPE TO SEE MANY FRIENDS AND FAMILY.

CELEBRATION DETAILS WILL BE PROVIDED WHEN ARRANGED.

MANY THANKS,

THE DENNIS FAMILY