C. Dennis "Denny" Lane

1940 - 2021

C. Dennis "Denny" Lane

June 17, 1940 - March 1, 2021

BLOOMINGTON - C. Dennis "Denny" Lane, 80, of Bloomington, passed away on Monday, March 1, 2021 at OSF St. Joseph Medical Center. A memorial service will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, March 8, 2021 at Carmody-Flynn Funeral Home, Bloomington. The visitation will follow the service, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday. Cremation rites have been accorded for a future burial service and interment at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.

To express condolences online, please visit www.carmodyflynn.com.

Denny was born on June 17, 1940, in Davenport, Iowa to Jack and Peggy (Powless) Lane. He graduated from Aurora East High School, Aurora, IL in 1958. He was recognized as Distinguished Alumni in September 2017. Denny would meet and marry Mary "Janene" Grady on October 20, 1962 in Aurora. He later graduated, from the University of Tampa with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1973 and received his MS degree from Florida Institute of Technology in 1976. He was also a graduate of the U.S. Army Infantry Officer Candidate School in 1965, the U.S. Army Aviation School in 1968 and Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, KS in 1976.

Denny was inducted into the U.S. Army in 1963, commissioned as a Second Lieutenant, Infantry in 1965 and retired as a Regular Army Lieutenant Colonel in 1984. His Army career include two combat tours of duty in Vietnam: In 1965-66, he served as an Infantry Advisor to a South Vietnamese Infantry Battalion with the 2nd ARVN Infantry Division stationed in Quang Ngai Province, South Vietnam. In 1968-69, Denny served as a CH-47, Flight Operations Officer and XO with the U.S. Army 1st Cavalry Division's A/228 Aviation Battalion. In August of 1969, his aircraft was shot down by North Vietnamese forces while flying missions in support of 1st Cavalry Division combat operations. Years later he would serve in the U.S. Army Inspector General's Office at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. Among his many awards, Denny was a recipient of the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, 2 Bronze Star Medals, 16 Combat Air Medals, The Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Palm and Bronze Star and the Combat Infantryman Badge. He would later be inducted as a Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM) Honoree in 2010 and his name is engraved upon the Smithsonian NASM Wall of Honor.

After retirement from the Army, he and his wife, Janene, transitioned to civilian life, locally they are best remembered as the owner/operators of the Chicago Dough Company, Bloomington, IL (1988-1993). Denny later went to work for Caterpillar's Government and Defense Group where he worked as a Contract and Program Manager on major U.S. Army programs and contracts. He retired from Caterpillar in 2008.

Dennis was a proud member of The Oneida Indian Nation, an avid golfer and automobile enthusiast.

Surviving are his loving wife, Janene of more than 58 years; his son Christopher Dennis (April) Lane and two grandchildren, 2nd Lt. Army Reserves Taylor Grady Lane and Connor Dennis Lane. Also surviving is one sister, Patricia Wenger of Tucson, AZ. He was preceded in death by his parents and infant sister, Sharon.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be sent to the USO, Washington, D.C., the local VFW or The American Cancer Society.