Christopher DENNEY

CHRISTOPHER DENNEY It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Christopher Denney at the age of 77. Chris passed the morning of August 20, 2022. He was visiting Reindeer Lake in Northern Saskatchewan doing what he loved, fishing. He will be greatly missed by his wife of 57 years, Maria Denney; his daughter Joanne and her husband Jeff, and son Neil and his wife Kathy; grandchildren Jessica and her husband Calvin, Madelyn, Kate, and Jack; brother Raymond and his wife Tricia, niece Jordan and nephews Alex and Michael and extended family back "home" in England; and his cousins here in Canada. To Chris, family was everything. His vision when moving to Canada was to create a secure environment for his family and have the means to provide a life for them filled with love and adventure. And that he did. Chris inspired many with his relentless pursuit of helping others, making memories, and taking risks. He was generous, empathetic, intelligent, thoughtful, and mischievous. He was born on January 2, 1945 to Harry and Francis Denney in Lancaster, England. Chris grew up alongside his brother Ray, cared deeply for his late brother Paul, and loved to play cricket and soccer. Chris and Maria met at school at nine years old and began dating at 18. Two years later, on June 26, 1965, they married at St. Joseph's Church in Lancaster, and that was the beginning of a 57-year love story. Chris arrived at Pier 21 in Halifax, Nova Scotia on January 18, 1967. With limited resources, he began his journey to live the "Canadian dream". Without formal education, Chris climbed the ladder from hourly worker to foreman, to manager, to Chief Executive Officer and business owner. He was the epitome of self-made. He had a tireless work-ethic and was highly driven to provide a successful life for his family. He became a mentor to many and his profound wisdom and influence will always be remembered. Chris lived life to the fullest and had many passions. He was an active member at Dundas Golf and Country Club for nearly 30 years where he relished the competition and made life-long friendships. He found peace and tranquility through fishing, and was always searching for his next biggest catch. Chris loved to sing and was a member of the Burlington Welsh Choir. In the past few years, he re-connected with old soccer pals now known as the 'Brekky Boys' who meet twice a month. Chris loved to travel the world with Maria, and they spent over 20 years of winters down in Florida with wonderful friends and neighbours in Pelican Sound. Above all, he spent as much time as possible with family - Sunday dinners, trips to Europe and Costa Rica, get-aways in Muskoka or at the cottage on Paudash Lake. His zest for life, big heart, and cheeky smile will be cherished forever. All hail, Emperor. Visitation will be held on Monday, August 29 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Smith's Funeral Home, 1167 Guelph Line, (one stop light north of the QEW), Burlington (905-632-3333). A Celebration of Life service will be held in the funeral home chapel on Tuesday, August 30th at 1 p.m. with catered reception will follow on site. For those unable to attend the service in person, a live stream link will be available on Smith's Funeral Home website on Chris's tribute page. Chris was a devoted supporter of B the Hope for Haiti, a local grassroots organization bettering the lives of Haitian children. Donations in Chris' memory are suggested to be made to B the Hope for Haiti (bthehopeforhaiti.com). www.smithsfh.com