Donald "Deno" DeNovellis

Donald DeNovellis (Deno) passed away on December 29, 2025. He was 88 years young. He is preceded in death by his wife Joyce DeNovellis (Becker). They married May 27, 1961.

Deno is survived by his three children, Angela Baldner (Ray), Charles DeNovellis (Peggy) and Ginny Johnstone (Matt). He is also survived by several grandchildren and many great grandchildren.

He was born in Lafayette CO to Charles DeNovellis and Virginia DeNovellis (Mastriona).

He was a U.S. Marine, and even to his death you never saw him without his red Marine Corp baseball cap. His children remember sitting around the dinner table singing the Marine Corp Hymn.

He had a wonderful sense of humor and you could not be around him for long without smiling and laughing. His knack for getting along with people was unprecedented. His ability to connect with others was a gift and an asset in his personal and his professional life. He spent 30 years with the Denver Police Department retiring as Sergeant. He has many accolades that speak to his dedication and his hard work over the years. His ability to connect with people of all walks of life contributed to his success as well. He was kind and respectful of all.

He loved motorcycles and cars. In his younger years he owned a Harley Davidson that he loved to ride with his like-minded biker buddies. He was also known to race a go cart or two. He was an avid sports fan; he loved watching and playing all sports. He spent several years coaching his grandsons in baseball and football. He was a huge NASCAR fan and Sunday afternoons were spent watching his favorite driver, Kyle Larson.

He was an adventurous soul and tried many non-conventional hobbies, the trumpet, guitar, barber and most recently photography and wood carving for which he seemed to have a natural talent. His children and grandchildren are blessed with several pictures and carvings that will forever remind them of him.

Most important to Deno was faith in Jesus Christ his Lord and Savior. He was a faithful Catholic. From the time his children were small, he worked extra jobs to send them to St. Peter and Paul Catholic school in Wheatridge, CO. Time around the dinner table was often spent by family discussing the importance of the Christian Faith and of knowing Jesus on a personal level.

He was greatly loved and will be greatly missed.

Please visit horancares.com to share memories and condolences with the DeNovellis Family.