- Date Of Birth: June 7, 1951
- Date Of Death: November 26, 2018
- State: Illinois
Dennis “Denny” DeGroot, 67, of Ashland, IL passed away November 26, 2018, at St. John’s Hospital in Springfield, IL.
He was born June 7, 1951 in Springfield, the son of Dale and Joan Lewis DeGroot. He married Kay Wankel on October 10, 1970 in Ashland and she survives.
He is also survived by two children, Derek DeGroot (wife, Mindy) of Ashland and Dacia Grimm of Chatham; five grandchildren, Daerial, Daegan and Dane DeGroot and Dresden and Danica Grimm; a brother, Darren DeGroot (wife, Victoria) of Ashland; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, David DeGroot.
A 1970 graduate of Ashland High School, Denny was known as a savvy entrepreneur. He developed and operated several businesses in the Ashland area over the years.
His greatest passion was his affiliation with the Jaycees and the JCI Senate. He was a long time member and past president of the Ashland Jaycees dating back to 1974. On May 5, 1986, Denny was named JCI Senator # 40222 in recognition of his devoted service to the civic organization. He would later serve as President of the Illinois Jaycee Senate in 1989-1990 and be elected the 30th President of the United States JCI Senate, serving from 2001-2002. By virtue of his devotion to the Jaycees, Denny was named to the Illinois Jaycee Hall of Fame on May 12, 2012.
Never at a loss for words, he often shared with friends that the Dutch meaning of the word “DeGroot” meant “The Great”. In each of his endeavors, Denny tried to live up to his family name. Another title he received was bestowed upon him by his grandchildren, “Best Papa Ever”. He loved being a snowbird in Florida where he enjoyed attending the Wintergarden Presbyterian Church. He also loved to travel with his wife, Kay, having visited all 50 states. Denny had a special way of doing things and was certain that each time Frank Sinatra sang “My Way”, he was referring to Dennis DeGroot.
