Dennis “Denny” Dean Wilcox, born on July 10th 1947 in Iowa City, Iowa, passed peacefully at home, surrounded by family, on February 14th, 2019. Denny was preceded in death by his parents, Charles “Chuck” Wilcox and Viola (Klinkkammer) Wilcox, older brother Larry G. Wilcox, two sisters, Patricia (Wilcox) Reidhead and Linda Lee (Wilcox) Brooks, and his faithful four-legged companion Buddy, who graced his side for 16-years. Denny is survived by his wife, Alicia (Alejandro) Wilcox; his son Nicholas Dean Wilcox, daughters Michele Lee (Wilcox) Sefton (John) and Stacey Lynn (Dandridge) Grant (Gary); stepchildren, Armondo Gonzales, Fernando Gonzales, and Sonia Valdez; nephews Jason Wilcox (Doneta), Jarin Brooks (Jennifer), Josh Brooks (Madison) and niece Kristin (Wilcox) Burt; grandchildren Justin Dean Wilcox (Tiffany), Katarina Mae Wilcox, Samantha Lee Sefton, Randall James Bowden, Corey Lee Bowden, Kelcie Lynn Bowden; step grandchildren Valerie McOwen (Nathan), Zach Garcia, Theresa Gonzales, Dominique Gonzales, Clarissa Gonzales, Fernando Jr. Gonzales, Christian Gonzales, Brook-lyn Valdez, and Ava Valdez; and great-grandchildren Aria Rose Guzman, Aubree Lou Bowden, and Madison Nichole Bowden.
Denny moved to Mesa, Arizona in 1962 from Iowa City, Iowa, with his parents and two sisters. Arizona’s climate brought the family southwest. Denny’s parents, Chuck and Viola, opened and operated a café in Mesa, east of Country Club and what is now the 202, called “Chuck and Vi’s Café”.
Denny, along with his two sisters, attended Westwood High School in Mesa. Denny worked at Johnson and Stewart and Allied Concrete in his early years and finished his career as the Sales Manager at Salt River Sand and Rock, where he worked for twenty-years before retiring in 2009. Denny enjoyed hobbies that allowed him to spend time in the Arizona sunshine.
He was an avid fisherman who spent a great deal of time in his 20s and 30s fishing, skiing, and camping at Canyon Lake, Saguaro Lake, and Apache Lake. He enjoyed waking up at 3:00 AM, loading up the camper and boat and heading out of town. He taught his children how to fish and ski in these lakes and how to sit quietly, as to not scare away the fish.
During this time, he was an active member of the Mesa Bass Busters, where he served as president and through various fishing tournaments collected a room full of trophies. The most memorable “trophies” were always the home-cooked, fresh fish served after a weekend of fishing. In his later years, Denny enjoyed fishing at Roosevelt Lake.
Denny was also an avid golfer, playing in the Phoenix Open Pro-Am on several occasions, and playing a tournament at the famed Pebble Beach Golf Course in California. While golf may have highlighted Denny’s patience and quiet nature, he also enjoyed activities that involved horsepower and rumble. He owned several Corvettes and Harleys through the years and appreciated the freedom and thrill that each provided.
He made it to Sturgis, SD on more than one occasion and made his final bike trip to Iowa eight years ago. Although Denny’s active life-style began to slow, his need to create did not. He learned photography, was an active eBay seller, selling refurbished knives and golf clubs, and hand-crafted fishing lures, and he always had a house project (or two) in the works.
The “boy from Iowa” with piercing green eyes, who enjoyed simple meals and his chocolate stash, who appreciated genuine people and refulness, who kept busy with his spreadsheets and favorite shows, who could either be the life of the party or revel in quiet solitude, will be missed by many. Denny’s end-of-life celebration will take place in March (details to follow) and his final resting place will be at the Mesa Cemetery with his parents and sister, Patricia, and cousin, Jerry Seaton. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to St. Jude Children’s Hospital – a charitable organization that Denny was fond of.
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