Dr. William F. Denny

Dr. William F. Denny 84, passed away peacefully at home on September 10, 2011, after a long illness bravely borne. Bill was born in Tryon, Oklahoma on August 15, 1927, the son of William and Edna Denny. He graduated from Central State College in Edmond, Oklahoma in 1949 and from the University of Oklahoma Medical School in 1953, later interning at George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C. He continued his residency at the University of Oklahoma between 1954 and 1957 and served as Chief Medical Resident, with a faculty appointment as an instructor in the Department of Medicine. He served as an officer in the U.S. Air Force and was appointed Chief of the Medical Service at both the Itazuki Air Force Hospital in Japan, and also at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. Later he was awarded a position as Research Clinical Investigator with the Veterans Administration Hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas. In 1967 he was appointed as the Associate Professor of Medicine and Founding Faculty Member of the newly formed medical school here at the University of Arizona. He started the first Medical Residency program, based at the Veterans Administration Hospital, where he was also Chief of Medicine. He continued as the program director for 24 years and served the University in various settings as a teacher, mentor and consultant until his retirement in 1990 as a full professor of medicine. After retiring from the U of A Medical School, he served as Chairman of the Institutional Review Board in Human Subjects at the University from 1990 to 1998. He was awarded the title Emeritus Professor of Medicine in 1994. Bill became a Fellow of the American College of Physicians in 1965 and served as the American College Governor from 1984 to 1990. He was appointed a Master of the College in 2004 and continued his active involvement until the end of his life. Bill is survived by his wife of 63 years, the former Rosemary Knoblock, and two daughters, Celia Olson of Pueblo, Colorado, her husband, Daniel (one of Bill's former medical students) and their three children, Melanie, Bryan and Jennifer and Karen Brereton of Tucson and her children, Nick and Elinor. He is also survived by a brother, Manford Denny of Denver; brother-in-law, Richard (Betty) Knoblock of Bartlesville, OK and four nieces and their families. Bill was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, doctor, teacher and friend; a lover of literature who bound his own books and a scholar who wrote Latin poetry to his grandchildren; an idealist, whose life was fulfilled by serving his family, church and community. The Memorial Service will be held at Northminster Presbyterian Church on Saturday, September 17, 2011, at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Doctors without Borders. Arrangements by BRING'S BROADWAY CHAPEL, 6910 E. Broadway.