Denis Jensen

DENIS L. JENSEN

Shellsburg

Denis L. Jensen, 81, of Little Rock, Ark., passed away July 17, 2017 surrounded by his family.

He was born June 12, 1936, in Jesup, Iowa, to Arnold and Constance Jensen. He was raised in Shellsburg and graduated from Shellsburg High School. He earned his bachelor's of business degree at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, and his post-graduate degree from banking school at Louisiana State University. He was proud to serve his country in the Army National Guard.

He began his career at Merchants National Bank in Cedar Rapids and attained the positions of cashier and vice president during his tenure there. During this time, he had an income tax service for many years and helped many people, including local farmers in the area. He relocated and was vice president at Barnett Bank in Homestead, Fla., and then relocated to Little Rock as vice president at First National Bank, where he later was promoted to senior executive vice president. During his career, he taught banking classes through the American Institute of Banking. He was very active in multiple civic organizations. He ended his career after being executive director of the Union Rescue Mission in Little Rock. During his tenure there he was instrumental in fundraising and was responsible for building the Family Shelter, the Transient Shelter and relocating the Dorcas House to its current location. He was passionate about helping and feeding the homeless even before he took this position. After retiring, he enjoyed substitute teaching.

He was deeply devoted to community service, helping others and being a servant of Christ. He was the founder and president of the Kidney Foundation of Iowa and he fundraised to aid kidney patients, so they could pay for their kidney transplants. Upon relocating to Little Rock, he founded and was president of the Kidney Foundation of Arkansas. He was instrumental in getting the law passed in Arkansas so organs could be harvested for all Arkansas organ transplant patients. He became passionate about becoming a Gideon in 1972, and he held many state offices, including president and state speaker. Distributing and placing Bibles was heartfelt to him. He was an active member of the Sertoma Club, and he held many positions, including serving as its president. He was the local president of the United Nations of Arkansas. He served as secretary for the Southern District for the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions. He was an arbitrator for the Better Business Bureau. He was active in the prison ministry and served as a chaplain. He was a member of the Suicide Watch First Responder Team. He was honored when he received the Brooks Hays Memorial Christian Fellowship award in 1986, which is given annually to the Arkansan who exemplifies the most outstanding community service in the state.

He was very active in the church during his lifetime, and he instilled the importance of this, as well as a strong work ethic, being kind and helping others to his children. He was a member of Calvary Baptist Church in Little Rock. Prior to this, he was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church in Little Rock. He loved music and was a member of the choir. He loved being a member of the Wednesday morning prayer breakfast at Trinity, and he was a longtime participant of this. As a young adult, he was an elder and Clerk of Session at the Shellsburg Presbyterian Church in Shellsburg, Iowa.

Denis loved music and he was a sports enthusiast. When he was in high school, he was the pitcher for the baseball team, played in the band, was a Boy Scout and was selected to attend Boys State. He owned and played the marimba. He loved to fish, play golf with his sons, attend sporting events and he bowled on a bowling team. He loved the New York Yankees and the St. Louis Cardinals. One of the highlights of his life was meeting Stan Musial and seeing Mickey Mantle hit a home run. He loved Billy Graham, George Beverly Shea and Bill Gaither. His family remembers him as being a humble servant of Christ and for being a charismatic, strong man who loved to laugh and embrace life.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his only sibling, Dale Jensen.

He is survived by his three children, Aaron Jensen (Melinda), Brian Jensen (Lisa) and Susan Martin; and his six grandchildren, Caroline Jensen, Anna Jensen, David Jensen, Mary Catherine Martin, Jimmy Martin and Andrew Martin. He is also survived by the mother of his children, Norma Cannon.

The family wants to thank Dr. Benny Green for taking exceptional care of Denis through the years, Dana Burnett, RN, for her excellent care and the staff at Cottage Lane Health and Rehabilitation Center.

Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, July 28, at Little Rock Funeral Home, 8801 Knoedl Ct. (Northwest corner I-630 and Barrow Road). Funeral service will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, July 29, at Calvary Baptist Church in Little Rock, located at 5700 Cantrell Rd. Interment will follow the service at Trinity United Methodist Church. Memorials may be made to the Gideons International through its website www.gideons.org or to Calvary Baptist Church, 5700 Cantrell Rd., Little Rock, AR 72207.

Arrangements by Little Rock Funeral Home, (501)224-2200. Denis' online guestbook may be signed at www.littlerockfuneralhome.com.