Dennis Andre

1939 - 2017

At about 5:30 am on Sunday June 11th the Foreman asked to see Denny. Born shortly after his twin brother Danny on July 7, 1939, the eventual father of four and his family decided to move north from Chicago to Lake Villa, IL. As a boy, Denny loved to fish and trap from the shores of Petite Lake. His uphill walk to school (both ways) was a small price to pay for living in the land of milk and honey. His mother, Lorraine (Petersen) Andre had her hands full with the young twins, yet she found a way to let her boys flourish despite the rough economy at the time. Denny's father, a stern man, did what he could for the family as a coatings engineer (painter), a trade that set the stage for Denny's future. As a schoolboy Denny struggled, but he developed a strong work ethic that suited him well. As a young man, he met the love of his life Gerry Etten, who, on March 19, 1961, would become Mrs. D. Andre. Denny worked hard (and played hard), as he and Gerry set up shop in Antioch. Not one to waste time, Denny and Gerry had Irish twins in 1962, Jeff (Sara) in February, and Jimmy (Cathy) in December. After a "cooling off" period, the couple had two more children, John (Vickie) in March of 1965 and Julie (Russ) in August 1968. The family settled comfortably into Antioch and in 1972, Denny decided to use his "charm" and buy the Red Arrow Inn on Deep Lake Road in Antioch. Business wise he was out of his comfort zone, but his unique people skills and a very thick ham sandwich seemed to do the trick. Sadly, Denny and Gerry divorced in 1982, but he never stopped loving her. After several tumultuous years he found peace. Peace with his children, peace with Gerry, peace with a new companion Claudia, and most importantly peace with himself. He went on to witness the birth of eight grandchildren, (Emily, Zachary, Nicklaus, Mallory, Megan, Hunter (deceased), Dawson, and Charlie). That is the softer side of Denny. Most will remember him as a gruff, sometimes vulgar curmudgeon, which often he was. However, beneath the rough exterior was a man with a heart of gold. A man who would give you the shirt off his back. A man who would listen to your problems and help in whatever way he could. A man who provided for his family and took the time for his friends. A beloved man. We love you Dad. God speed. Visitation will be held from 11AM-1:30PM on Saturday, June 17, 2017 at the STRANG FUNERAL HOME, 1055 Main St. (Rte. 83) with funeral and Moose services to commence at 1:30PM. In lieu of flowers, contributions to MooseHeart at 155 S. International Drive, Mooseheart, IL 60539 or online at www.moosecharities.org or JourneyCare Hospice at JourneyCare Foundation, 2050 Claire Court, Glenview, IL 60025 or online at www.journeycare.org Please sign our online guestbook for Denny at www.strangfh.com