Dennis Craig Walston

Dear Walston Family,

I met Dennis for the first and only time a few short months ago.My tie to him was thru my professional connection and great respect for his brother, Mark, with whom we shared a client. It was an honor to meet Dennis and to connect him with his extremely talented brother. My thoughts and prayers are with each of you during this time of great and sad loss. I hope you will take some small comfort in knowing that he has touched others in a very meaningful way. ...

Dennis,

Words fail me...My deepest simpathy to your loved ones.

Oh, Dennis, you will be missed . . .There were so many good times over the years--daily chats in my office, conventions--the times you really "got me" with your phone jokes, and most of all the laughter you brought into my life. Thank you my dear.

To all of Dennis' family, and especially his parents, I send my deepest sympathy. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

I've seldom met a man as complex as Dennis. I worked for him for almost ten years and he was always full of surprises. I learned a tremendous amount from him and he'll always be an important part of my history.

Dennis my dear you are Balmy Crumpets, Education of an Egg and a truly magical spirit. "Who Loves Ya" - We All Do.

I can't think of Dennis without working a convention in Miami, Florida ... it's about a thousand degrees outside at about 12:30 in the morning--everyone is yucking it up (Dennis' humor inducing the most yucking of all, of course), everyone is completely exhausted, waiting for the final page proofs to show up for final look-see, waiting ... but me secretely hoping that the proofs don't show up too soon so that the laughter can continue further into the night.

Sometimes laughter is...

Dennis challenged us all --mostly to not take ourselves so seriously. Through his invincible wit and charm he could always bring us to our knees with laughter even at the most maddening times. My memories of the Art Dept at TKG are littered with the hilarious practical jokes Dennis played and the trouble he was always rustling up. But beneath the cover of humor, what really stands out is how deeply he cared for those around him. Dennis was loyal to a fault and extraordinarily generous. So...

I can't think of Dennis without thinking of tears . . . tears from laughing uncontrollably at his stories, his practical jokes, his Robin Williams-like riffs. He knew that laughter was as essential to the human experience as eating and breathing. He may not always have felt joy but he certainly had a gift for spreading it. The world was a happier place because of him and I will miss him.