Happy Heavenly Birthday!
Talons birthday party
Well dad we are going to the park for another birthday I know you are with us I feel you more some days then others. We need you with us today help us remember that we are family. I'll be thinking about you dad. I wish you could have seen talon and June bug and tarver Ty has the boys training. They are little but Ty does real good with them. I love you dad!!!
Me again
I need you dad! I miss you so much and I know I'm being selfish cause you are in a better place. Well this story not so good. I still need you dad love you
Favorite
Will and tami's wedding day
Working
Cali trip (dads house)
I remember one of the times I was at dad's house for the weekend and he says, "hey you want a cookie? And I only being 9 of course said yes. Then to my surprise he says ," ya me too." He also liked to tease me.
This song says what's in my heart
I could have written this song for you. It says exactly what I feel and have felt since the day we met. Know how much you are missed and loved!!!
New Photos Added on August 19, 2014
Sheila sent me many photos of her Dad and family members so I could crop them and fix them up to look nice for our memorial. Thank you for sharing so many wonderful pictures Sheila! I know your family will enjoy them as much as I have. To view all of the photos you may go to the tab "Gallery" and click on Photos.
Enjoy the sweet memories everyone!
With Love To All,
Suz
08/10/2007
They had sent dad home with ten days to live. Sheila stayed at his side through all of it as she did with our mother. I was at work on 08/10/2007 and Sheila called and said to come over. We sat with dad . I was holding dads hand and felt his soul exit his body. I told Sheila and pat that he was gone. We all cried . It's taking a long time to write this. I love and miss you dad!!! Sheila and Brandi dad really loved y'all and I know you love and miss him. In a way he lives inside us and he is not forgotten . I love y'all!! Atleast dad never hit y'all . Lol love love!!!!
Gone Seven Years ~ Gone Too Soon
Today marks the seventh year of your passing and know you are truly missed and loved. I feel richly blessed having known you and having had you in my life. The bond we share, no one can break nor can my beautiful memories of you and I be taken from me. R.I.P. knowing you hold my heart forever in your hands and my love is forever yours.
One of my favorite pictures!
Father and Son
Love the hat!
Great picture!
Shortly after I met Dennis
My Contact Information
Taking a deep breath here hoping you all will keep and open mind and heart while reading my story below!
If any of you would like to know more about me now, you can find me on Facebook as Suz Smith and see photos of my family and myself and see some of my craziness I put up along with some nice things. Send a friend request and I'll gladly accept!
Look forward to knowing more about all of you wonderful people!
With Love,
Suz
My Time With Dennis
My name is Suz (short for Suzanne) and first I'd like to thank Don and Sheila for graciously opening their hearts and allowing me to get to know them as friends! You ask I'm sure who I am and what connection I have to Dennis and these two children of his. Simple, while searching for Dennis I found Sheila Tafte and knew Dennis had a daughter by that name so sent her a Facebook message telling her I went to school with him and we kept sharing information back and forth. Then I sent Don a message after Sheila told me about him and we have become great friends too. For this I am thrilled! I must tell you the news that Dennis had passed about tore my heart out and you'll soon know why. I was shocked to say the least for I thought he was immortal!
I met Dennis when I was 13 on the bus that picked my brother and I up to go to Sunday school. Yes, Dennis did go to Sunday school and church with me which I'm sure surprises many of you! LOL The first time I saw him I fell in love with him and prayed he'd be on the bus the next Sunday. He didn't come every week but we began to talk and soon his Mom moved them to my area and we now went to the same school. His younger brother Phillip was the same age as my brother.
As we began to see each other more in school and out of school we found we both had fallen in love. Young yes, but love knows no age as we found out. I was invited to dinner by his Mom who I dearly loved! After dinner I told her thank you and that we would clean up so Dennis helped me do the dishes, imagine that?
We'd spend a lot of time talking and playing with his dogs outside. One thing he could always do is make me laugh. Oh I made him laugh too when he'd tease me with a story about something crazy and watch as my eyes grew big and my mouth fell open! About the time he had me hooked he'd get that goofy, crooked grin on his face and start to laugh, then seeing me feel silly for falling for his story, he'd come give me a hug and tell me he was sorry but I was so easy to fool. I told him I trusted his every word is why and that made him feel good, at least I got a kiss out of what I said, lol
He was also a true romatic with me as he choose a song called "Endlessly" by Brook Benton from the late 50's and said this was how he felt about me and it was his song to me. I still know all of the words to it too. At the age of 15 he asked me to marry him and I remember saying yes, yes, yes!! He gave me a ring and we were offically engaged. Before a year passed our world came crashing down on us however and we were torn apart from each other. For more details please ask Don or Sheila, I'll let them decide who needs to know more if that's ok.
Well, we both were broken hearted but had to move on with our lives without each other. The last time I spoke to him was when Sheila was a baby and it so happened I had a baby girl just weeks younger than her. We had both married about a year before, as for me I married to get away from home, not for love. We had a nice talk on the phone and then lost contact with each other. I never forgot his smile, voice and gorgeous blue eyes and his wonderful laugh. I loved him from day one and love him still. He helped this 13 year old, shy girl who was so bashful come out of my shell and believe in myself for I had such low self esteem. I never felt so loved, so special and good about myself as I did when I was with him.
Thank you all for taking time to read this and hopefully you will accept my friendship if for no other reason than the fact that like you all I love Dennis and that being said, love ALL of you too because you are his family! He was the love of my life and will live on in my heart always and forever!
And to you Dennis, you have a wonderful, loving family to be so proud of. I do wish I was part of it but God had other plans for us I guess. I do miss you so and love you and always will! Thank you for all of the love and caring ways you showed me. Your memory warms my heart! See you again one day! Love you!!!
Wasted time!!!
This was after dad had moved to texas. We had a falling out due to my activities. Of course I was not about to be told that I couldn't do something so we parted ways again. A few years went by and dad had started working at the same place as my wife shon. Little did I know he had been leaving her notes and talking when they could. So they decided to con me in to going to a company Christmas dinner that I had never been to. I went to this one and dad walked up to our table where shon, the kids and myself was sitting and asked me if he could sit down. I said yes and minutes later it was like nothing ever happend. That was the last time we parted ways. I want to thank suz, and my sisters for making this site what it is. I visit every day . And every day it's good for a smile. Maybe a few tears lol
Don's Birthday
Magic
Visit to Cali...
Trash
Lesson 1
Sharing Memories Of Dennis and Celebrating His Life
Dennis left us much too soon but left many wonderful memories in each of the hearts of those who knew and loved him. He was many things to many people, Father, Husband, Grandfather, Brother, Friend and more.
I met Dennis when I was 13 years old and he stole my heart the moment i saw him for the first time. We had some wonderful years together and made many magical memories together. He was my first love and made me feel so very special. For reasons beyond our control we were seperated and I was heart broken. We both moved on with our lives but he has always remained in my heart along with those memories we shared. Many, many years later I was informed that his feelings for me had never changed either. What a bitter sweet time that was since it was after he left us so I never had the chance to even talk to him and share our past and our feelings we held inside our hearts since we were parted. I only wish he had known my feelings before he moved on. Some how I think he does know, we always had a very special chemistry and connection.
He is missed deeply by all of us but will always live on in our hearts and our mermories of the time we spent with him. His heart was warm, his laugh infectious and his smile would light up a room. He was a proud man and had a deep love for his family.
Rest now In Peace Dennis knowing all who love you will be holding you close to their hearts always. You touched so many lives in the time you were with us and we are all better for it. Thank you for the wonderful memories you left for us to enjoy and embrace.
Please feel free to leave a message or story in remembrance of Dennis to pay tribute to this wonderful man. He's now watching down over each and everyone of us and that is a comfort to me, I hope it is to you also.
Now I wish you peace and a fond farwell Dennis. You will never know what a beautiful impact you had on my life. Then again, you may know.
Thank you for visiting in Dennis's honor.
God Bless You All