Denneny, Thomas F. 'Tom'

Thomas F. “Tom” Denneny, 81, of Iowa City, died peacefully Sunday, August 8, 2010, at his home. Mass of Christian burial will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Iowa City, with The Very Reverend Rudolph Juarez officiating. Visitation will be from 3 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Lensing Funeral Service in Iowa City. A Knights of Columbus rosary will begin at 3 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Private burial will be Friday at St. Joseph's Cemetery in Iowa City.

Instead of flowers, the family kindly requests memorials to St. Patrick's Church or The Knights of Columbus.

Thomas Francis Denneny was born Feb. 5, 1929, at Mercy Iowa City, Iowa. His parents were Thomas Francis Denneny and Genevieve McCraith Denneny. Tom attended one room country schools and lived on farms in Johnson County, until his family moved to Iowa City in 1941. He graduated from St. Patrick's High School in 1946. Tom married Wilma Donovan on April 15, 1950. They recently celebrated 60 years of marriage.

Tom was a driver for Sanitary Farm Dairy where he was a member and union steward of the Teamsters union. He retired in 1991 from the University of Iowa Patient Transportation Department. Tom was a lifelong member of St. Patrick's Church; a 4th Degree member of the Knights of Columbus, Council 842; Eagle's 695; the Morse Community Club; an advocate on the Chatham Oaks Board and a past president/founding member of the County Johnson Irish. In addition, Tom belonged to Johnson County Historical Society, Friends of St Bridget's Foundation and past District Representative of the Boy Scouts of America.

Tom is survived by his wife of 60 years, Wilma; six daughters and three sons, Diane (Jerry) Strawn of Solon, Jim (Diane) Denneny of Iowa City, Barbara (Joel) Wells of Iowa City, Mary (Patrick) O'Leary of Davenport, Genelle Denneny (Guy McCoy) of Lawrence, Kan., Steven Denneny of Iowa City, Susan (Mack) Andrews of Austin, Texas, Colleen Mahoney of Iowa City, and Tim Denneny (Beth Clark) of Hills; 20 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

He is also survived by four brothers-in-law, Charles Owen of Iowa City, Bob “King” Moore of Coralville, Roland (Darlene) Donovan of Iowa City, and Patrick (Jackie) Donovan of Iowa City; and four sisters-in-law, Betty (Alan) Patten of Oxnard, Calif., Susan (Jim) Reese of Conroe, Texas, Rosemary (D.G.) Partridge of Breda, and Kathleen Donovan of Halifax, Nova Scotia. He is also survived by many beloved nephews, nieces and cousins.

Tom was preceded in death by his parents; his sisters, Genevieve Mitchell Moore, Ann Owen and Mary Theresa Denneny; his brother, Larry Denneny; and a son-in-law, Gary Salva.

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