William J. Denning
BELVIDERE - William J. Denning, 73, of Belvidere, IL, passed away suddenly on August 22, 2023. He was born March 12, 1950 in Valley City, ND, the son of Elaine (Beil) and Harold “Joe” Denning. He married Donna Hajek on August 21, 1971, at First United Methodist Church in Belvidere, IL. Their 52-year marriage is an inspiration to us all. Bill attended Perry School and graduated from Belvidere High School with his future wife, Donna, in 1968. He and Donna survived the Belvidere tornado at the high school in 1967. He attended Illinois State University and earned a Bachelor of Science in Math and an MBA with an emphasis in accounting. Bill passed the CPA exam on the first attempt, which is historically very difficult and was a source of great pride for him. He began working at Coopers and Lybrand in Rockford, IL. He spent the majority of his career in leadership roles in the heat treating industry. Bill made a positive impact on many people, including at Ipsen Industries, Rock River Heat Treating, and Diamond Heat Treating. He was a member of First United Methodist Church in Belvidere and served on the finance and stewardship committee over the years. He was very involved in Junior Achievement, sparking a love of the business world for many students. Bill lived an active lifestyle and loved hiking, skiing, and golf with friends and family. He was completely devoted to his wife Donna and would do anything for her. He led our family on incredible road trips across the country, and later in life loved exploring the world with Donna. He loved spending time with “the Magnificent Seven” - their 7 grandsons. Bill was an avid reader, and never missed an opportunity to point out a proofreading error, so hopefully this final copy has no errors. From his early childhood, Bill could often be found at the Ida Public Library in Belvidere, soaking up anything he could find in the pages of those books. He had a thirst for knowledge, especially American and European history, and could talk about current events with anyone for any length of time. Bill’s endless optimism, competitive spirit and positive outlook on life was infectious, and he brightened any room he ever entered. He was an active member of the Healthy Solutions AA group, where he rarely missed the 5:15 meeting and greeted everyone enthusiastically. We are comforted by knowing that Bill has touched so many lives in this program.
Bill is survived by his wife, Donna; 3 children, Kathy (Jeff) Walton, Mike (Amanda) Denning, and Matt (Dina) Denning; and his sister, Barb (Don) Dittbenner. His adventurous spirit will long be remembered by his 7 grandsons, Evan Walton, Elliot Walton, Gavin Denning, Luke Denning, Jack Denning, Will Denning, and Sam Denning. He was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Pat Adkins.
Bill’s visitation will be from 3 to 6 p.m., Sunday, August 27, 2023, at Anderson Funeral and Cremation Services, 218 W. Hurlbut, Ave., Belvidere, IL 61008.
His service will be at 10 a.m., Monday, August 28, 2023, at First United Methodist Church, 610 Bonus Ave., Belvidere, IL, 61008. Rev. Jim Bell will officiate.
In lieu of flowers, please direct memorials to the family in order to support literacy, education, and substance recovery.