Dennis Ray "Denny" HEGEWALD

Denny left peacefully on the morning of January 23, embraced by the arms of Pamela, his wife of 48 years, and his sons, Jan and Alex. He had decided to no longer battle the aggressive form of brain cancer that had robbed him of all joy.

Denny was born in Everett, WA, on February 5, 1947. He spent his early years hunting, fishing, and carousing with siblings, cousins, and neighbors in nearby Monroe, WA. Although he was president of the Methodist Youth Fellowship, he was the mastermind behind a few "events" that caught the attention of the local chief of police.

When Denny was 12, he spent his first summer salmon fishing in Alaska on his dad's gillnetter. That was the beginning of his Alaska life. After high school, he spent a few summers as the skiff man on a Seattle based purse seiner. He eventually worked as a fisherman on a NOAA research vessel doing population studies in the Bering Sea.

Denny started skiing at Stevens Pass in early high school. Around 1967, he wrangled a tryout for the Sun Valley ski patrol through a fellow Monroe local, the ski legend Corky Fowler. Denny was a lousy skier, but fortunately, Mt. Baldy had received several inches of "Stevens Pass powder" the night before the try out. Denny nailed it and got the job. His skiing quickly improved, and he patrolled for the next six winters. The ancient ski patrollers still around Sun Valley will remember Denny as a great guy to run a wreck with.

Denny met Pam at the Ore House in the Sun Valley Village, during the winter of 1971. After three winters, Pam decided that was enough and moved to Spokane to pursue a career in nursing. Denny had graduated from Eastern Washington University with a degree in marketing and decided to tag along. They were married on December 18, 1976.

Denny worked jobs in insurance and finance but hated the cubicle life. He really wanted his own business. That dream came true when he and Pam bought the iconic Ron's Drive Inn in Spokane Valley. They owned it for 25 years. Denny was a great businessman, boss, and burger flipper. His passion, however, was visiting with the customers in the dining room. He shared his endless stories and listened to the stories of others. He took chit chatting to a professional level.

Denny and Pam returned to the Sun Valley area with their boys many times over the years, skiing, fishing hiking, and biking. Both boys reside there now with their wives, Darlin Baker and Megan Mahoney. All those adventures took a back seat, and new adventures began with the arrival of Jan and Darlin's twin sons, Jax and Grey.

Pam hated golf but agreed to learn how to fly fish. Her love of the sport never reached the passion level that it had for Denny. But they spent nearly 30 years fishing in British Colombia, Alberta, Idaho, and the Florida Keys. The Missouri River between Wolf Creek and Cascade, MT, was their heaven. Denny's final resting place will be on his beloved, Mo.

Denny loved a tall tale over a good whiskey, a happy Labrador, his family, and the outdoors. He will be dearly missed.