Lonnie Dench first entered the spotlight in 2016. That was when his wife Wanda accidentally texted a stranger instead of her grandson and invited him to Thanksgiving dinner. Their story went viral when 17-year-old Jamal Hinton accepted the accidental invitation and joined the family for Thanksgiving. An enduring friendship formed, with Jamal returning every year to celebrate the holiday with the Dench family. Recently Jamal took to social media to report that sadly Lonnie had died of coronavirus on April 5, 2020.
Legacy.com is the world's largest network of memorial announcements. Founded in 1998, Legacy partners with local news organizations and funeral homes across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.
