Dennis Lee Hylton

1950 - 2023

Dennis Lee Hylton, 73, passed from this life to the life that is truly Life on April 16, 2023 in Sedona, Ariz. Dennis was hiking with Patty, his beloved wife of 50 years, when he took his last steps on this earth.

Dennis was born to Donald and Adelena Hylton on Jan. 24, 1950 in Exeter, Calif. He grew up in Lindsay, Calif. After graduating from Lindsay High School in 1968, Dennis attended UCLA.

On Jan. 26, 1973 Dennis married his high school sweetheart Patty Richert. They spent two years in Indiana and then moved to Colorado where Dennis received his bachelor's degree in political science from Colorado University of Boulder with enough accounting classes to sit for the certified public accountant (CPA) exam. Their two children Bethany and Dustin were born in Colorado. In 1979 the family moved to Fresno, Calif. and finally settled in Exeter to raise their family.

Dennis was a CPA for 43 years. Other than the late nights during income tax season, he agreed with the adage that you should choose a job you love so you never have to work a day in your life. He enjoyed a warm, caring relationship with his clients and found it gratifying to have an impact on their financial lives.

Dennis was community minded and appreciated standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Kiwanis Club members to serve the Lindsay community. In 2018, the city of Lindsay recognized Dennis's dedication by giving him the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Dennis loved spending time with his family, playing games, swimming in the pool or off on family vacations. He took the time to invest in his children's and grandchildren's lives. In 2013, Dennis and Patty welcomed foreign exchange student Anna Terekhova into their home and hearts and continued to invest into that relationship throughout the years.

Dennis and Patty traveled both in the U.S. and abroad and felt most sights worth seeing were worth hiking to them. Their love of hiking and later backpacking grew into an enjoyable passion. With the camaraderie of his hiking buddies, Dennis backpacked over 500 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail.

Dennis's love for Jesus was evident in how he cared and loved others. He had an amazing gift of listening to people. He was a gifted leader and desired to help people in need. His sincerity was shown through his eyes, smile, laughter, his firm handshake and his warm embrace. He lived life to the fullest with a desire to please Jesus Christ, his savior.

Dennis is survived by his wife, Patty; his daughter Bethany Ancina and her husband Jason and their three children Devin, Rihanna, and Alejandro; his son Dustin and his wife Michelle; his older brother Kenneth and wife Pat; and younger brother Gary and wife Katie.

In lieu of flowers please consider making a donation in his memory to World Vision Global 6K for Water at global6K.worldvision.org. Dennis was passionate about this opportunity to help bring clean water to communities all over the world. For more information, please call Patty at 559-901-8330.