Dennis Edward Groh

Dennis Edward Groh

Aug. 9, 1939 - April 22, 2023

LANSING, Michigan - The Rev. Dr. Dennis Edward Groh, age 83, died in Lansing, MI, on April 22, 2023.

He is survived by his wife, Constance De Young Groh; children: Jeremy D. Groh (Christin), Sara Groh Silva (Richard); stepchildren: Patrick Collora and Anthony Collora; and grandchildren: Molly Silva, Patricia Noonan, Katherine Silva, Liam Silva, and Elliot Silva.

Dennis was born in Chicago, IL, on August 9, 1939, son of Edward and Anne Groh. Dennis played football for Chicago's Theodore Roosevelt High School "Rough Riders." He attended Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, IL, where he would later return as a faculty member and administrator. After graduation in 1961, he entered the Bachelor of Divinity program at Garrett Seminary (now Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary), Evanston, IL. Concurrently, Dennis served as pastor of Sumption Prairie United Methodist Church, South Bend, IN. In 1965, he received his B.D. from Garrett and was ordained an elder in the United Methodist Church. Dennis then began doctoral studies at Northwestern University, pursuing a program broadly based in early Christianity. He joined a team studying the recently excavated Mithraea at Ostia, Italy, leading to his first of over one hundred scholarly publications, eventually including authoring, co-authoring or co-editing six books. Dennis earned his Ph.D. in 1970. Previously, in 1968, he launched his twenty-eight year career at Garrett-Evangelical, receiving the title Professor of the History of Christianity, taking on many speaking engagements, and earning numerous honors. He also served as advisory member of The Graduate Faculty at Northwestern and as adjunct faculty at Chicago Theological Seminary (1988, 1989, 1990). In 1996, Dennis returned to IWU as University Chaplain and Professor of Humanities and Archaeology.

Dennis participated in field archaeological projects throughout the Mediterranean world of Cypress, Israel, Italy, Tunisia, and Turkey. Most recently, Dennis served as Associate Director of the Sepphoris Excavations of the University of South Florida and as consultant to the Shikhin Excavation Project, both in Israel. In the area of text scholarship, he teamed with Robert C. Gregg (1938-2023) to co-author Early Arianism: A View of Salvation (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1981) which was honored by the American Society of Church History as Finalist for the Phillip Schaff Prize (1983). Dennis retired from IWU at the close of 2006, and relocated to Lansing, MI.

A Memorial Service will take place on Saturday, May 13, 2023, at 1:30 p.m., at St. David's Episcopal Church, 1519 Elmwood Rd, Lansing, MI, 48917.

Donations in memory of Dennis may be directed to the American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR) at 209 Commerce St, Alexandria, VA, 22314; Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary at 2121 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL, 60201; Illinois Wesleyan University at IWU Advancement Office, PO Box 2900, Bloomington, IL, 61702-2900; Northwestern University at Northwestern University Alumni Relations and Development, Attn: Gift and Record Services, 1201 Davis Street, Evanston, IL, 60208; or St. David's Episcopal Church at 1519 Elmwood Rd, Lansing, MI 48917.

For further information see https://www.palmerbush.com/obits.