Robert Denny

Former longtime Anchorage resident Robert O. Denny of Tucson, Ariz., died Jan. 10, 2009, after a long illness. He was 89. A memorial service is planned for a later date. He was born Aug. 28, 1919, in New Paris, Ohio, where his family lived, where his parents were teachers and where his brothers, Chalmer and Lewis, were born. The family then moved to Kokomo, Ind. Bob attended Kokomo High School and was a national champion hurdler in 1937. He was very active in sports all his life. He attended the University of Indiana until World War II broke out; he left during his junior year to go to flying school and graduated from Kelly Field in San Antonio, Texas, Class of 41G, U.S. Army Air Corps. He taught flying classes until he was called to join the 75th Fighter Squadron and the Flying Tigers, becoming best friends with Tex Hill and remaining close with the rest of the Tigers throughout the years. Mr. Denny had many missions and was shot down and belly-landed in a rice paddy in the Sion River. He was rescued by two Chinese soldiers who walked him out, stopping in small villages where he was surrounded by people who had never seen a blond, blue-eyed "round-eye" before he finally made the base in Henz Yang a few weeks later. During his service he received The Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, Purple Heart, Soldiers Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, the WWII Victory Medal and The American Defense Service Medal with clasp. After leaving the Flying Tigers he was stationed in Palm Springs, Calif., and then went into business in Los Angeles from 1946 to 1953, at Grand Central Corp., assigned to the plant in Tucson where he was in charge of lengthening the Tucson Airport runway. He then founded his own company, with partner William H. Doheny, On Mark Engineering Co., operating from 1957 to 1967. On Mark reconverted A-26 aircraft into private executive aircraft and reconverted them for Air Force service abroad. There is an A-26 at the Pima, Ariz., Air Museum, along with The Pregnant Guppy, which the company also built. Mr. Denny was in real estate in Los Angeles from 1967 to 1969, when he moved with his family to Anchorage. They lived here for 23 years. He was involved with the board of the National Bank of Alaska and Alaska Methodist University, and developed Century Village subdivision in the '70s. He flew float planes and fixed-wing aircraft most of his life until he stopped flying in 1987. He was an avid dove, duck and goose hunter and an expert fly fisherman. The Dennys spent part of the winters from 1976 to 1992 in San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico, where he played golf. He also loved the Tucson Country Club course. Mr. Denny leaves behind his wife of 45 years, Margot Potter Denny; his brother and sister-in-law, Lewis and Marilyn of Green Valley, Ariz.; son and daughter-in-law, Robert Bruce and Stevie; daughter and son-in-law, Devon and Scott Edwards; son and daughter-in-law, Brian and Rae Ann; daughter, Dana Denny; stepdaughter, Margot Kiser Jones; six grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his son, Justin Denny, 1988. Donations may be made to the Alaska Zoo, www.alaskazoo.org.