Dennis Hewitt
Dennis Edwin Hewitt
April 9,1944 - August 22,2019
OLD GREENWICH, CT -
Dennis Edwin Hewitt, of Old Greenwich, CT, and Los Angeles, CA, passed away on Thursday, August 22nd, at his home in Connecticut.
Dennis was born in Los Angeles, CA, along with his brother, Robert, and sisters, Linda and Holly. He graduated from the University of California at Los Angeles and earned his Masters of Finance from the University of Southern California. Notwithstanding his studies, Dennis met and fell in love with his high school sweetheart, Kathryn Ault Lefler. They married on June 11, 1966, and he was always an example of a loving husband.
He began his career in aerospace at North American Rockwell in Los Angeles, California, and worked on the Apollo 11 project. Dennis proudly served his country in the National Guard of California while working on his Master's degree. Dennis and Kathryn welcomed their first daughter, Denise Ereka Hewitt on January 28, 1970, in Los Angeles, California.
In 1972, he moved his young family first to Byram, Connecticut. While still in Byram, Dennis and Kathryn welcomed their second daughter, Dawn Elizabeth on Feb. 18, 1976. They then moved to Old Greenwich, CT, where they would live the rest of their lives on Richmond Drive, anchoring the heart of a neighborhood. They joined First Congregational Church and eventually, Innis Arden Golf Club where Dennis would try to dominate the tennis courts.
Dennis began his career in advertising at Young and Rubicam in New York City in the early 1980s as Treasurer and Senior Vice President. He started as the Treasurer at Omnicom in New York in 1988 developing the Treasury department for more than 30 years. Dennis decided to retire as Treasurer of the company and as Chief Executive Officer of its wholly-owned subsidiary Omnicom Capital, Inc., effective Dec. 31, 2018.
Dennis believed that every child should have the same chances he did. After Hurricane Katrina, he co-founded a charity called "Omnicom Cares". This was staffed and supported by Omnicom's amazing people and clients. Omnicom Cares began when Omnicom decided to host a conference in New Orleans shortly after Katrina and the attendees wanted to do more to help the city.
From these ad hoc beginnings, years of playgrounds, computer labs, and helping schools and childhood centers across the United States and the world brought change to countless lives.
Having lost his sister-in-law, Ellen Lefler, to an aggressive form of breast cancer, he was active participant in the Breast Cancer Awareness Alliance (BCA) and was honored by them with the BCA Hope Award.
Dennis believed in family, not just the family he was born to but the friends he brought into his life. These friends and family were the bedrock of his life. From tennis partners to his neighbors to those who were in his life from day to day.
Dennis was known for his love of family and friends. His positive and cheerful attitude garnered him the lasting friendship of friends and neighbors. Everyone was regaled with his stories of his twin granddaughters who were the light of his life. They were inseparable, emailing and calling each other at least weekly and spending every vacation and holiday together having adventures.
Dennis enjoyed traveling with his family and shared many fantastic vacations with his extended family. He gave them all the love of traveling.
He is survived by his two daughters, Denise Ereka Peterson, Dawn Elizabeth Hewitt, his beloved granddaughters, Anna Marie Smith and Isabella Smith, along with their father, Che' Smith. Dennis is also survived by his two sisters, Linda Juengel and Holly Roberts of California, along with his brothers-in-law, Kenneth Juengel and Russell Roberts, respectively. He is loved and will be missed by his nieces and nephew.
Dennis is also survived by his friends and neighbors in Old Greenwich, including the "Usual Suspects" and the "Beergarden Gang." Everyone on Richmond Drive will miss him.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert S. Hewitt and Anna Marie Hewitt along with his brother, Robert S. Hewitt, Jr. and his loving wife Kathryn Ault Hewitt.
Dennis set a great example for all of us, and he touched many people profoundly during his journey through life. The world is a better place having had him in it. He will be greatly missed by all that knew him.
There will be a Memorial service on Friday, October 11, 2019, at 5:00. The service is at First Congregational Church of Old Greenwich, CT.
108 Sound Beach Avenue
Old Greenwich, CT 06870
There will be a Celebration of Dennis' Life following the service from 6:30 - 9:30 at:
Innis Arden Golf Club
120 Tomac Avenue
Old Greenwich, CT 06870
Donations, in lieu of flowers, can be made to The Gary Sinise Foundation, which serves our nation by honoring our defenders, veterans, first responders, their families and those in need, or the charity of your choice.