Dennis Theron Gluhm

Dennis (Denny) Theron Gluhm passed away suddenly on October 21 2019, in Loveland, Colorado. Denny was born in Sioux City, Iowa on May 6, 1961 and soon after was adopted by Clarence and Ramona (Mona) Gluhm of Holabird, South Dakota. In March of 1963, his parents moved the family to a farm near Loveland, Colorado where his father farmed and mother worked the graveyard shift as a waitress at Johnson’s Corner.  In 1970 the family moved into town (Loveland) where Denny lived until graduating from Loveland High School in 1979.  After graduation Denny enlisted in the Navy and for the next 6 years was commissioned to the USS L.Y. Spear, the lead ship of her class of United States NAVY submarine tenders.  Denny earned the rank of Petty Officer Third Class as a Hull Maintenance Technician and member of the Rescue and Assistance Detail.  He was deployed to the Indian Ocean during his Navy tenure.  Denny was instrumental for keeping the moral high among the division throughout his entire enlistment tenure.  After an honorable discharge from the Navy (1985) Denny lived in the DC area for a short time, then returned to South Dakota where he lived and worked near where his parents grew up. Denny worked for Ed Westcott (Westcott Construction Company) for several years laying communication cable, and also helped his cousins and uncles during calving and harvest seasons. He was often found around rodeo arenas and even tried his hand at bareback bronc riding. Denny had quite a sense of humor, and loved to play pranks on co-workers and relatives. Many stories can be told about Denny getting the best of someone as well as the many good jokes played on him. He never took things too personally and was always a good sport. A few years after his father’s death in 2003 he moved back to Colorado to live with his mother who was diagnosed with dementia.  In Colorado, Denny worked for the Highway Dept. as a flagger and at Nugent Supply delivering construction supplies up and down the front range. Denny loved the Colorado Rockies and was a fan of the Denver Broncos but his favorite football team from an early age was the 1972 Superbowl Champion Miami Dolphins. He loved watching old Westerns, knew all the lines of comedies he grew up watching and enjoyed action packed military movies over romantic ones.  Denny was a kindhearted man that could be depended on throughout his life by any of his childhood friends, Navy shipmates, bosses, co-workers and of course his family and relatives.  He was a simple man, that enjoyed living life the way he thought it should be.  He will be greatly missed by the family he left behind, his mother Mona (97), sister Penny (Ross) Alexander, nieces Kenna, Eve and Ila, and great niece Eden. Denny also leaves behind many relatives living in South Dakota, Colorado, Nebraska, Montana, New Mexico, West Virginia and Arizona as well as coworkers, neighbors and friends that meant a lot to him especially Lori, a woman in his life who was forever someone close to his heart as well as her daughters, Sarah and Rachel, whom he cared very much about. He was preceded in death by his father Clarence, several aunts, uncles, cousins and his maternal and paternal grandparents. Denny’s legacy will live on in the hearts and minds of everyone he interacted with. May his soul be at peace.  A graveside service will take place at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in Highmore, South Dakota on November 30 at 1:30 PM. Anyone that knew Denny that would like to attend is welcome.  As he requested his body was cremated and will be placed near his father, a man he looked up to and loved deeply.  Friends and family are invited to St. Mary’s Hall afterward for coffee and desserts.  In lieu of flowers donations can be made in Denny’s name to Alliance For Suicide Prevention of Larimer County PO Box 271639 Fort Collins, CO 80527 or donate online at www.http://allianceforsuicideprevention.org/ .