Robert Gerald Denney passed away on June 29, 2023 at his home after a brief illness. Bob was many things to many people. He lived a highly active life filled with rich outdoor experiences; he was a skilled mechanical and electrical engineer; he was a man who loved his family and participated in a wide range of family events; he was a respected martial arts practitioner and instructor; a respected triathlete as well as an accomplished hiker and adventure racer.
Born June 14, 1953, in Xenia, Ohio, Bob moved with his parents and one younger brother to Florida in the early 1960s. After several years the family settled in Sarasota, where Bob’s father worked for the U.S. Postal Service, a second brother was born, and his mother worked as a practicing nurse. Bob quickly transitioned to an active Florida lifestyle that he embraced all his life. He graduated from Riverview High School in 1971 and then earned a degree in Engineering Technology in 1978 from what was then Florida Technological University in Orlando, now known as UCF.
Bob and first wife Kathy started a family in Sarasota, and settled in Orlando, raising their son Robert M. Denney. Bob applied his engineering skills to respected companies such as Martin Marietta, Harris Corporation and more. In the years that followed, Bob & Kathy divorced. And so, it evolved that when he was not with his son or working, Bob dedicated his free time to athletic training.
He was an accomplished competitive swimmer, which helped him to successfully complete the 1982 and 1989 Hawaii Ironman, also known as the Ironman World Championship. This race includes a 2.4-mile swimming race in the sea at Kailua-Kona Bay followed by a 112-mile cycling course across the Hawaiian lava desert and a 26.2-mile run at its conclusion. Bob often trained and competed with his younger brother David until David’s untimely death at age 37 in 1993. Pressing on without his brother, Bob competed in many triathlons of varying length throughout the United States.
As an avid cyclist, Bob joined the Florida Freewheelers Cycling Club and it was at a club event in 1989 when he was introduced to Lee Anne Tanner. The two athletic professionals found much in common and were quickly an item. They married in 1992 on Valentines Day with their respective sons by their sides.
In 1997 Bob found his quiet dream home off a dirt road in a rural west Orange County community of Clarcona. Lee Anne and Bob moved in and quickly started family traditions that have included family Christmas gatherings, an Annual Pumpkin Carving party and more.
Over the years, Bob’s passion to challenge himself athletically continued. His interests varied widely: He obtained Nidan 2nd degree Black Belt in the USA GOJU karate organization under Sensei William Liquori, and then taught younger students for years. He also trained in the Art of Sword with Sensei Bob Elder. He was a Certified Yoga Instructor. Many early mornings he could be found in Wekiva Springs State Park where he often enjoyed solitary hikes throughout the park’s many back trails.
One year in the mid-1990s, Bob and LeeAnne trekked to the Grand Canyon in northern Arizona and adventurously took a mule ride into the canyon. The trip gave way to a passion to explore the famous national park, resulting in many additional trips into the 1,904 square mile park. In some places, the canyon itself is over a mile deep and ten miles across. Hiking in the Grand Canyon is so demanding that even people in excellent condition often emerge sore and fatigued. Multiple times Bob completed the challenging Rim to Rim hike, which averages 12 to 15 hours. He also enjoyed hiking in the canyon with his wife, his son Robert, and later with his grandsons.
It was in March of 2004 when Bob discovered another, even more encompassing passion – the joy of being a grandparent. With three grandsons from his stepson Daniel Yates (Rebekah) and in 2016 a granddaughter from his son Robert (Chris), Bob invested the next several decades joyfully spending time with the younger generation and following and supporting them in school, sports and other activities. Bob also enjoyed time with his extended Tanner family which included his many nieces and nephews as he and Lee Anne hosted events at their “Lakeville Lodge” home.
All the time, Bob continued working as an engineer. For the past 20 years, he was a senior team member at Toptech Systems, a division of IDEX Corporation. The company’s Longwood Office received several patents over the years from Bob’s work.
Bob Denney is predeceased by his parents Robert Ralph Denney and Barbara May Pierce Denney; and his brother David Warren Denney, all of Sarasota. He is survived by his wife, Lee Anne Denney; his son, Robert M. Denney and his wife Chris San Agustin Denney and their daughter Siena, of Orlando; his stepson Daniel Lyon Yates and his three sons, Trevor, Ian and Finnigan Yates, all of Central Florida. He is also survived by his brother, Michael Calvin Denney (Tracy) of Sarasota; as well as a large extended family including many nieces and nephews.
A celebration of Bob Denney’s life will be held at a later date, which will be added to this post once announced. The family suggests that as a tribute to Bob, donations may be made in his memory to his favorite charity, Marine Corp Reserve Toys for Tots , at: https://secure.toysfortots.org/a/donatetoday .