Lawrence "Bill" Dennis

Lawrence William “Bill” Dennis, aka Captain Jack, took his last flight on September 21, 2022. He died of advanced Parkinson’s Disease, after an illness of eight years. Bill was born January 4, 1942, during a record-breaking snowstorm. His 80 years were no less exciting. His parents who preceded him in death were Lawrence Emil “Lorney” Dennis and Lucile Jeffers Dennis.

Bill graduated from the “old” Dowling High School in 1960 and from Creighton University in 1965 with a degree in radio and TV broadcasting. Throughout his childhood and high school, he was active in Boy Scouts and earned the Eagle Scout Award. Additional activities during those years included showcase roller skating and as K0UKN, an extensive amateur radio operation. His ham radio goal was to contact every country in the world and while he was active, he contacted hundreds. He was proud of the contact with Yuri Gagarin, a Russian Cosmonaut just before his first flight into space in the early 1960s.

The word entrepreneur defined his adult life. As an employee, he produced and directed television shows at KDPS when that public TV station was located at Tech High School in Des Moines. When KDPS became KDIN and moved to Johnston, he chose to remain at Tech and teach radio and TV production to high school students using the KDPS studios.

In 1973 he decided, with only one airplane ride to Kansas City at age 12 to his credit, to buy a small Cessna airplane. A friend convinced him that he could become a pilot easily, and so he did. In the process, he earned his private pilot with instrument rating license and his flight instructor license. When he toyed with the idea of purchasing a helicopter, he even earned a helicopter certification. He loved flying and used his aircraft for many of his small business enterprises. His businesses included building giant towers, growing angel fish and doing his own shipping via the Cessna, flying aerial banners and lighted aerial advertising, aerial photography of hundreds of farms and businesses throughout central Iowa. On October 4, 1979, he was the official air traffic reporter for the visit of Pope John Paul II when thousands descended on Living History Farms for events there. He taught flying to many novice pilots giving the same beginning experience that he had in 1973.

Bill joined WHO Radio in 1977 and became the air traffic reporter known as Captain Jack with both morning and afternoon reports. A previous reporter was called Captain Jack but Bill’s personality and methods soon made him distinctively known as Captain Jack, a name which he trademarked. As the afternoon traffic report May 1978 ended, a powerful phenomenon known as wind shear struck his airplane. Through skill, he was able to pilot to a crash landing from which he survived with only seventeen broken bones.

After son David graduated from high school, Bill and Cicily purchased 40 acres in rural Ankeny and began a Christmas tree growing operation. From an initial planting of 5000 seedlings, the farm expanded annually with that many more trees each year and in 1990 the first few trees were sold on a “trial run.” Purchasing a tree at Captain Jack’s became an annual event for hundreds of families until 2005 when the farm closed.

In 1997 Bill developed a website to market his tree farm and offered membership to all Christmas tree farms across the country plus the U.K. and Canada called The Christmas Tree Farm Network. After retirement this website kept him busy until last year.

Bill developed Captain Jack Communications as a web development provider that enabled customers to reach top positions on search engines. As an Ankeny small business owner, he joined the Rotary.

In 1963 he married Cicily Haller Dennis. Their son David Lawrence was born in 1966. They divorced in 2000. He married Rhonda in 2002. In 2007 after the death of his parents, the tree farm stopped its sales, and Bill and Rhonda permanently moved to a favorite location in Kissimmee FL despite hurricanes, heat and humidity.

They moved back to Iowa in October 2021 as his health deteriorated to be near family. And indeed, they enjoyed the fun and laughter of family gatherings at all key events including his 80th birthday. He had the opportunity to attend grandson Jason’s concerts and enjoyed playing monopoly with him. He was a faithful Hawkeye follower (with competition for time with Rhonda’s Cyclones). His move to Iowa gave him nearly a year to enjoy all of the other precious memories that families build.

Left to grieve him are Rhonda, sisters-in-law Marie (Bob) Sander, Jeff (Tonya) Wheeler, Nedra Wheeler, and Tami Wheeler; his first wife Cicily, son Dr. David Dennis, grandson Jason Dennis, daughter-in-law Angela Rubino, 1st cousin Ray (Kathy) Dennis (they grew up nearly as brothers), Cicily’s five sisters Linda, Mary, Beth, Lisa (Bob), and Sybil and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. Those preceding him in death include his parents, his brothers-in-law Bill Haller and Mack Gettler, nephews Alex and Andy Gettler, parents-in-law Ray Haller and Eleanor Butts.

Hamilton’s Funeral Home at Memory Garden is handling all arrangements. Visitation will be on Tuesday, September 27 from 4:00-7:00 p.m. and the funeral is at noon on Wednesday, September 28 which would have been his mother’s birthday. Burial immediately after at Glendale Cemetery. Memorial contributions may include St. Croix Hospice or to the family for designated donations.

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