Dennis Jay Pointer

Dennis Jay Pointer, 73, of Dallas, Texas passed away Thursday, November 10, 2011 at Baylor Medical Center in Dallas after a courageous battle with Parkinson's Disease. Dennis was born on December 6, 1937 in Brady, Texas, he grew up in Odessa, Texas, and graduated from Odessa High School. Dennis served in the U.S. Navy from 1958 to 1961 aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ranger (CV-61) in Okinawa, Japan. After the Navy, Dennis worked for the Standard Oil Company in California for a few years. He moved back to Odessa, Texas in the mid 1960s where he worked for the Sivalls Tank Company and was active at the Permian Playhouse, acting in a production of The Crucible. Dennis moved to Dallas in the late 1960s and worked for Collins Radio, The Bug Shop and the Tetradyne Corporation. He then founded Superior Customs from which he retired in the late 1990s. Dennis drove British sports cars, rode motorcycles, flew private aircraft, restored antique cars, and exercised with Tai Chi. He was passionate about designing and building almost anything. He built and flew two gyrocopters, designed, built and flew a modified version of a KR2 experimental aircraft which he exhibited at the Oshkosh, Wisconsin Experimental Aircraft Association Fly-In, and designed and built several recumbent bicycles which he rode around White Rock Lake as part of his physical therapy. He loved and was loved by his family, his friends, and his cats. He was always active and lived life to the fullest. Dennis is survived by his wife Patricia Ann Pointer, Patricia's daughter Kelly DeLoache Burke and grandson Sam Burke, sister Janice Spence, aunt Leoma Yates, uncle John Robert Wilton, nephew Craig Spence and his wife Allison Spence, nephew Jon Spence, his cats Poinci and Alfie, and many, many dear friends. Dennis was predeceased by his father J. D. Pointer and his mother Evelyn Wilton Pointer, both of Odessa, Texas. Family and friends will gather for a celebration of Dennis' life on Sunday, November 20, at 2:00 o'clock in the afternoon in the Wildwood Chapel at Restland Funeral Home and Cemetery, 9220 Restland Road, Dallas, TX 75243, 972-238 7111. There will be a reception at the Pointer's home following the gathering at Restland. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to one of the following charities, or a charity of your choice: Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research ATTN: Tribute Gifts Church Street Station P.O. Box 780 New York, NY 10008-0780 http://www.michaeljfox.org KittiCo Cat Rescue ATTN: Donations PO Box 600447 Dallas, Texas 75360-0447 http://www.kittico.org Barncats PO Box 293152 Lewisville, TX 75029 http://www.barncats.org Operation Kindness 3201 Earhart Drive Carrollton, TX 75006 http://www.operationkindness.org