JACK E. DENNEY, ROCKLEDGE

Jack E. Denney, passed away Tuesday, August 19, 2008. Jack, a native Floridian, born in Deland, FL, September 25, 1932. His family moved to Cocoa when he was very young. He graduated from Cocoa High School in 1950, where he played in the band.

Jack learned to weld from his father in their machine shop. Later on, the Denneys opened one of the first filling stations in Cocoa where Jack would work and help his father. Jack served in the U.S. Army and he played his trumpet in the Army band.

After his Honorable Discharge from the Army, Jack returned home and worked for Rockwell during the Apollo Program. He received the coveted Snoopy Award and many other awards during his aerospace career. Jack was a certified welder of exotic metals and was specifically chosen for these crucial missions during the Apollo era. Jack worked on the Shuttle program for U.S.B.I. on their Solid Rocket Booster Retrieval Ships. Several years later, he transitioned to Lockheed, then United Space Alliance. Jack was employed in predictive maintenance "ferro graphy", the analyzing of particles present in fluids indicating mechanical wear.

His favorite pastime was fishing on the St. Johns River. He also enjoyed hunting, flying planes, airboats, dune buggies, and riding his motorcycle. He was always mechanically inventive, helping countless friends and neighbors with an easier way of making or repairing something. Jack was a Mason, belonging to Brevard Masonic Lodge #113 F&AM, and a 32 Scottish Rite Mason and he was involved in many areas of the community including the Mosquito Beaters.

Jack is survived by his loving wife of 43 years, Judy; and two daughters, Amber DAmato and Kristina Bradshaw; and an aunt, Hazel Denney. Services will be held Tuesday, August 26th, at 4 p.m. at the Rockledge United Methodist Church, 1935 Fiske Blvd. The family requests donations, in lieu of flowers, for the St. Johns Riverkeeper, 2800 University Blvd. N., Jackson ville, FL 32211. www.stjohnsriverkeeper.org