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Gean Dentino Obituary
PEKIN - Gean Dentino, 94, a resident of Pekin since 1969, passed away at 2 p.m. Thursday, April 29, 2010, at Pekin Manor.
Born Jan. 13, 1916, in Toluca, Gean was a daughter of Mauro and Grazia Sericola Dentino.
Gean is survived by more than 100 nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews and great-great-nieces and -nephews.
She was preceded in death by four brothers and four sisters.
Gean graduated from Bradley University in 1937, receiving a bachelor of arts degree.
Gean taught physical education for Peoria School District 150 from 1942 until her retirement in 1981. Her 39 years were spent at Roosevelt Junior High School and Peoria High School.
She and her sister, Rose, were dance instructors at the former Dentino Studios of Dance Arts in Peoria and Pekin from 1932 to 1976. She taught dance activities at the Minnesota Association for Girls and Women's Sports annual summer workshop at Carleton College in Northfield, Minn., from 1977 to 1990. She was a volunteer leader at the Lloyd Shaw Foundation's annual Rocky Mountain Round-Up in Colorado from 1981 to 1988.
Gean was a certified Body Recall instructor (a nationwide lifetime adult fitness program) and taught adult fitness classes and dance activities at the Miller Senior Center in Pekin from 1983 to 2005. In 2005, she was chosen teacher of the year for the Body Recall Hall of Fame in Berea, Ky., for her many years of continued teaching of the program.
Gean received a Quarter Century Award in 1972 from the Illinois Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance in recognition of 25 years of teaching. She was named winner of the award in the Sports Achievement Category in 1985 at the fourth annual Pekin YWCA Recognition Luncheon. In 1986, she was one of five recipients of the Illinois Governor's Senior Leadership Award for serving as a role model for other seniors in the area of health and physical fitness.
She was named a Senior Olympic Celebrity in 1989 for outstanding services to older Americans by the Central Illinois Regional Senior Olympic Committee. Gean was one of the recipients of the Peoria Area Arts and Sciences Council 1997 ASCie Arts Achievement Circle Awards.
Gean was a member of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, and in 1989 received emeritus status in that organization for long-standing membership. She was a member of the Peoria, the Illinois and the National Retired Teachers Associations, and honorary life member of the American Association of University Women, a former member of the Lloyd Shaw Foundation and a life member of Dance Educators of America. She was a member of the River Valley Cloggers of Peoria from 1976 to 2004. Gean was a member of two local square dance clubs, the Circle Eights of Pekin and the Bachelor and Bachelorettes of Peoria. She cued line dances at both of those clubs and the Keystone Square Dance Club.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday, May 4, 2010, at the Wilton Mortuary in Peoria. The Rev. William Watson will officiate. Visitation will be one hour before services at the mortuary. Burial will be in St. Joseph Cemetery in West Peoria.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Miller Senior Center, 551 S. 14th St., Pekin, IL 61554, or any charity.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.thewiltonmortuary.com.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Gean Dentino
George Cooley
January 6, 2017
I met up with Miss Gean at a square dance in the 80's after the set she said to me "you dance very well" I told her thank you because you taught me about 25 years ago. Miss Gean was a wonderful lady and person
shirley robertson hughes
May 5, 2010
45 yrs ago at roosevelt boy what a long time. And for someone to leave an impact on your life as she did. I am online letting all of my classmate know that our strict PE teacher (lol) has gone to a better place. My prayers are with the family.
Jean, Jenny and Bonnie
May 4, 2010
Miss Dentino was not only my PE Teacher from 77-81 = PHS, but also my sister's and my Mom's at Roosevelt. We were just remembering her last week. She will be missed but live forever in our memories.
Reta Williams-Doss
May 4, 2010
Ms. Dentino was my physical ed teacher at Roosevelt Jr. High when I was in the 9th grade many years ago back in the 60's. I had been thinking of her recently and wondered of her whereabouts. She was such an inspiration for the many good reasons to continue exercising. I will miss her knowing she's no longer here. She was a doll but no pushover. Family, you were blessed to have her as a member. Please accept my condolences.
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Robin
May 3, 2010
I'll always remember my dance classes at Dentino's in the 50s. Both Gean and Rose treated us with respect and gave us a good foundation in dance. The recitals at the Shrine were much anticipated and the mothers' sewing machines were kept busy sewing the costumes - and all those sequins had to be sewed on by hand! Gean was so important to the community - she enriched the lives of thousands.
Arlene Dentino-Larson
May 3, 2010
Aunt Gean;
Beyond Ordinary...You were the sunshine of our life! You did what comes naturally...born to dance; dancing on the ceiling and stomping at the savoy. You built a stairway to the stars for the stars. "amar y' vivir', you...LOVE AND LIFE!
Your maternal tenderness and simplicity embraced the whole of humanity not to be forgotten in the ages of time.
It's raining in our hearts; we will miss you. We will see you again. Semper avanti..semper fideles!
love,
Larry/Arlene D. larson
Pete/Gayle Gonzales,Andrienne & Lauren
Janis Bushong/Deserae/Ron Hendrickson, Colter
Norma Jean Christenson
Pat Shirck/Glavin
May 3, 2010
Gene and her sister Rose were a pivotal part of my life. I began taking lessons at the Dentino Dance Studio in 1956 at the age of 6. When I was in high school I began assisting classes and typing dance notes. ( I remember even helping to teach a ballroom class.) The ability and joy of dance that I developed through these many years led me to a major in dance at ISU. I taught high school dance at Proviso West in Hillside, Illinois. I married and moved to Calif. Here I created an educational program of music, dance and drama activities for preschoolers, My PLAY Approach which I currently teach in a Head Start Program.
The last time I saw Gene was in 2008. I was speaking to a group of teachers from Rogy's in the auditorium of Richwoods High School. As I watched Gene in the front row laughing as she did each activity; I realized my life had come full circle.
My thoughts are with Mike and Arlene.
Dee-Dee (Nell) Caruso
May 3, 2010
Miss Dentino taught me folk dances at Peoria High back in the late 1960s and early 1970s. She was always full of energy and enthusiasm. She might have come in a small package, but she had a big presence and I've never forgotten her. May God bless her and her family.
Kristen Brown
May 3, 2010
I'm forever fortunate to have taken a clogging class from my Dear Aunt Gean, maybe 10 years ago. She could still hear then, but even if she couldn't, she felt the beat of the music and followed it well. Actually, it made me feel quite stupid, and uncoordinated.
Uncle Fred was the only one that really picked up dancing, and I have pictures and memories for proof.
Dancing sets the spirit free, and I do believe that Gean is dancing in Heaven now.
She always sent a $10.00 bill for X-mas, and I'll miss that bill forever and ever. Not because of the cash, but because of her presence in my life.
Even when she lost her hearing, she was happy little person. Quite small in stature, but HUGE in her heart.
Aloha, Dear Gean. And thanks for the inspiration.
Love-Kristen
Kevin & Thelma Johnson
May 2, 2010
Our condolences to the family. We were backdoor neighbors in Pekin for 27 years.
May 2, 2010
she was my p.e. teacher and we did some dancing in p.e. to........she was a very nice teacher and i really liked her......she was a small lady and i learned a lot from her...i had her as my teacher at roosevelt jr. high, back in the 50s...she always made us laugh...she was a good teacher and a good friend...she will be missed
DONNA HOEHNE-FELKER
May 2, 2010
SHE WAS MY DANCE TEACHER, 60 SOME YEARS AGO. ALSO MY DAD DELIVERED ROZELLS MILK TO THERE STORE,BOB HOEHNE
May 2, 2010
I often think of the Saturday afternoon in 1967 when I stayed after my begining tap class to have Gean Dentino work with me until I understood how to do the shuffle-hop-step. Then in 2004 I see her line dancing at a squaredance. Always inspiring and full of life.
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