I am deeply saddened to hear of Denis’ passing. Denis and I go back a long way. I first met Denis in 1966 when I was a student at United College Collegiate ( U of Winnipeg) only recently arrived from Trinidad. I am grateful for his friendship and how in those early days he went out of his way to make me feel at home with his family. His mother (who I thought was the splitting image of Kathleen Hepburn) and the family was so gracious when Denis had me over to their home on Kane Avenue. Denis introduced me to ice skating and had a good laugh seeing me struggle trying to skate with his father’s old skates.There were so many anecdotes about Denis over the years it’s always going to be fun recalling them now that he is gone. Here I was in a new country when Denis and Garry Foote came up with the scheme to go down to Florida for spring break. We had to raise funds quickly. So here we were on the back of an old van delivering flyers for what turned out to be a pittance and Denis only had blistered feet to show for it. Another scheme was to raise money for flying lessons. So in the summer I found myself along with Denis slinging sod unto the back of a truck, backbreaking work. And I still have not had a chance to take flying lessons - too late now for me Denis. Back at school Denis was very athletic. He played a lot of volleyball there and hockey elsewhere and had that one missing tooth to show for it. There were some years in between when we did not see each other, but fortunately we reconnected when he and Wendy were an item. Denis was my best man at my wedding to Barbara who also knew Denis at United College. She recalls how he always tried to include her, being such a shy person, whenever he was at Tony’s, the cafeteria at United. Denis’ diet was not the best back then at United. I always remember his favourite fries soaked in gravy whenever we went for lunch at the Mall Restaurant, across from the collegiate. Denis was very proud of his children and their accomplishments and would always speak so highly of them whenever we got together.In recent years we connected up again after his life away in the US with April. They decided to buy a home in Wildwood Park and I was able to help them out in this regard. Denis’ illness often took him away to the US and Austin Texas where he had excellent health care. I last saw Denis in January of this year when he and April came to my mom’s Celebration of Life. It was so nice to see them there and I really appreciated him coming. He looked good then and I thought I would have more time to see him and April after that. But it was not to be. I will always see his shy happy smile as he and Allan pull up in his MG. Good bye dear friend. God bless.

Heartfelt condolences from John and Debra. I (John) worked with Denis in both St. Andrews and Winnipeg Control Towers. I cannot recall a single day when Denis did not have the time to acknowledge your presence in a cordial manner. Socially, we saw Denis and April at the annual Christmas gatherings  John also played hockey with Denis on the controllers' team. Debra and I will always remember our sojourn to the Shushwap Lake houseboat trip. The group included Denis and April. We adopted Gilligan's Island characters as our own; Denis was the professor for reasons of intelligence; however, he had a nasty beaching method at the end of the day i.e. drive the houseboat as fast as it could go onto the beach, hop off, build a fire, and have supper; thus the reason he was the professor and I think the captain! Our thoughts are with April and family. Denis will forever be in our thoughts.

My condolences April and family.  I had the pleasure of working with Denis at Wpg Tower    He always had a smile on his face and his ever present crossword at break time.  He will be deeply missed Barb Gudmundson. BG

Uncle Denis, or better yet, Uncle D and his unstoppable partner Aunty A were always welcome guests in the Podaima household. While April brought the wine, Denis brought the enthusiasm. Few could ask for a better guest, as it didn’t matter what you made for Denis because somehow, it was always exceptional. You knew this to be true because as actions speak louder than words the sheer number of times Denis got up to refill his plate reflected his spoken enthusiasm.   The days of traipsing around California or Central Texas with Denis will be sorely missed as he was also an impeccable travel companion.   While everyone knows Denis’ love for Willard Lake, fewer know about Denis’ love for Clark’s 'legendary' bedtime story. While everyone was in their separate beds, Denis would call to Clark to tell everyone “the bedtime story” which was always the extraordinary exploits of Spider-Man and Hercules as they fought crime down Henderson Highway and would be rewarded for their heroic efforts with a foot long hot dog at Half Moon in Lockport.   Truth be told, we’re not sure if there were any other bedtime stories, but Denis loved this one all the same.   Denis, we miss you attacking the saucepan four hours after dinner with your fingers, and we regret not telling you one last bedtime story as you drifted off.❤

April and family, our sincere sympathies and heartfelt thoughts are with you. We will miss Denis and our get togethers at Sal’s. He was a wonderful friend and neighbour. So sorry for your loss. Orest & Ann Kohut

My heartfelt condolences to all of Denis' family and friends.  Denis and I have been great friends since our school days at U of W Collegiate. He and his family were extremely close to me and mine during their stay in St. Andrews. I will always cherish those days. He was a kind soul who surrounded himself with special people. I always felt harmony in his presence. Rest in peace my friend.

Our memories of sharing time with Denis are all so wonderful. He is a friend we ( Pat and I ) have know for many years.  I really got to know him during the time he and April lived in Los Angeles. Our family moved to LA  around the same time and through April, we came to know and love Denis, enjoying many a dinner together, exploring new places around town, sailing on the ocean and just having pure fun. Its true that his laugh will ring on in my memory for a long time. His fun loving nature was so pleasant to be around. He loved his family dearly and spoke of them often. We were fortunate to meet Caitlin and Kristen when they visited Austin. He had a wonderful sense of humor, and  he was a great story teller. He shared many stories with us about his career as an air traffic controller.  Denis engaged with everyone in so many ways. Denis often suggested a game to play, whether we were golfing, watching a football game, or spending time in the country.  We laughed where ever we were. We enjoyed visiting him at his places in Winnipeg, and Lake of the Woods, hearing him replicate to a tee the call of the loon.  He had a keen connection with nature and all living things. Sports were always part of the fun.We drove to watch the Winnipeg Jets play in Dallas. Denis was a loyal fan! We golfed, went boating, and waterskied. There was always a lot of energy and happiness surrounding Denis. The last twelve years saw us visiting the quirky places  in and around Austin where both our families relocated to after the years in LA. Once again we discovered new haunts and found favorite venues to meet and enjoy good times together. We traveled to Mexico, Spain and the British Virgin Islands and created more memories while on glorious holidays. Denis has been a welcome visitor in our home and we always wanted to be there to support him during the most recent times. The more time we could spend together, the better off we all were. He is missed in our company but is forever in our hearts. We are deeply saddened and think of him often. ❤

I first met Denis at the University of Winnipeg. We formed the first U of W volleyball team together along with Jim Forsyth. Our relationship grew over the next few years and we soon became best friends.  Kathy and I spent several years together with Denis and Wendy. Denis was my best man at our wedding as I was his at his ceremony in Eddystone. The summers were full of crazy antics which included boating ,water skiing, trips to Detroit Lakes MN. and   Niagara Falls. So many good times come to mind. I owned a houseboat on the Red River and one night we decided to take a trip north towards Lake Winnipeg. There were several people on board including the girls Kathy and Wendy and far too much to drink. About an hour into the trip I had to use the bathroom and asked Denny to take the wheel while I was gone. It wasn't too long after resuming control again that I noticed the sky getting brighter ahead. I said to Denny "Hey, check this out. What do you think this is?" Denny replied "It must be some UFO's. There's nothing up here that would give off that kind of light." Suddenly everyone broke out laughing. Denny had very gently turned the boat around while I was away. We were headed back to Winnipeg. On another occasion Denny was sitting on the roof of the boat with the girls on a chaise lounge. I guess one leg of the chair slipped off the edge of the roof and over he went. I stopped the boat and ran to the stern and there was Denny in the water. It was taking forever for him to get back to the boat. I started laughing at him and remarked "Where did you learn to swim like that?" He reached up with his left hand and I grabbed it and started to pull him aboard. As he came out of the water I realized that he was still holding on to the chaise lounge with his right hand. He said "Well I didn't want to lose my seat." What a guy!  On my first solo flight at St. Andrews Denny was the one that guided me in. There was that old familiar voice from the tower congratulating me on my first solo landing. After we had left Winnipeg I often thought of Denny and each time it brought a smile to my face. Those were indeed some of the best years of my life. Perhaps some day I'll be greeted by that old familiar smile again. You were indeed a kind soul and my best friend. Alan Hills Virginia Beach, VA

I was both shocked and saddened to hear of DB’s passing. He was my first ATC monitor and checked me out to give me my first license at YAV. Haven’t seen Dennis much for years but we had some good times together at work playing hockey and at the ATC Hecla golf tourneys. Always a calming influence and a soft spoken man whose wit,wisdom and sense of humour was a joy to be around.may you Rest In Peace DB. My condolences to the family.IGGY

There comes a time in one's life when someone stands out more than others. In my case that person was Denis. I met DB in 1977 at the outset of our ATC careers at St. Andrews Airport. From YAV we progressed to YWG control tower. I was fortunate to have Denis on the same crew as me for many years. I recall one incident while we were working an evening shift where an individual stole a twin engine aircraft from the hanger line and departed without ATC authorization. He was not in a good frame of mind and was intending to end his life. Denis being Denis took control of the situation and calmed the pilot and convinced him to consider other options and land the aircraft safely, which he did. This is the type of person Denis was, always willing to go that extra mile for people. Always compassionate, kind and generous. I am deeply saddened for the loss of a dear friend. So many good times and countless memories. You will be missed DB Until we meet again. Our deepest condolences to April, Kristen, Jon, Wendy and their families. May the call of the Loon bring us a smile Don and Iola Seghers

Our deepest condolences April and Family at this sad news.  Denis was one of the best controllers and supervisors I had the honour of working with and I have thought of him often for his calmness, kindness and humour. He was just a great person and he will be missed.

Denis (Ronaldo) will always be with us through amazing memories.  We are thankful to have enjoyed time with him, and even getting a new nickname. Our condolences for the loss.

I am saddened to read of Denis’ passing.  My sincere condolences to April, Kristen, Jon, Caitlin and their families.  DB was fun, generous and unconditionally shared a genuine connection with people…he was one of the good guys! I will always remember his smile. 

I have had the privilege of knowing Denis, and his wonderful family, my whole life.  Ever since I can remember, I have known him. He and my Dad became friends while attending the UofW Collegiate together, and for a number of years, our families both lived in the St. Andrews/Lockport area, and remained in touch after Denis, Wendy and the kids moved to Winnipeg. I had the benefit of having Denis in my life from a very young age, as I became close friends with Jon, Caitlin and Kristen.  What an incredible, wonderful man!  He was amazing with kids, always radiating fun, excitement and love for life. His unique and infectious laugh is ringing in my head right now, as if he is right here. And I know this will be the same for so many others. What a gift to leave to us all.  My memories of Denis are profoundly vivid. He leaves such an impression on others, how could they not be vivid and joyous-being that they involve him? I remember: the hay bale fort he built for the kids at the Lockport House.  Adjusting the satellite dish.  The Lockport phone number 2559 (back when you didn’t need to dial the first 3 if you shared the same prefix). A 2-3-year-old Caitlin calling me to ask if I wanted to go and see “Jabba the Hutt” because Denis was taking the kids to the movies. Touring my Dad and I through the Winnipeg Air Traffic Control Tower. The family dog “Missy”.  Him driving the car and descriptively pretending it was an airplane-including talking to the Tower, of course! The New Year’s party at the Lindenwoods house. He, Jon and Caitlin coming to my hockey games in the city.  The countless waterski and tube rides at beautiful Willard Lake.  Calling my old red Cutlass the “Pizza Hut Bomb”. He and April letting me and a friend stay at his Calgary house while we visited the city.  There are probably a hundred more memories of him. They all feature the same things: Joy, love of life/family/friends/people, endless generosity, effortless conversation, a wonderful listener, and an amazing sense of humour.  His wisdom and insights, on all topics, were always one of a kind, and left a lasting impression.  While visiting Denis, April, kids, spouses and Grandkids at Riverview, Denis was still making hilarious wise cracks with the standard “Dad!” responses from his kids.  It instantly made one feel like I never missed a beat with him, even though I had not seen him in years. This is just the kind man he was. Putting everyone at ease and being always the consummate host-even in his final days. It is distinctly apparent that the crowning achievement of Denis’ life, and the height of his legacy, is his beautiful family.  If you ever get to meet any of them, let alone call them a friend,  trust me-consider it the utmost of blessings. Farewell to my friend Denis. May we meet again someday. 

I will miss my beautiful brother ❤️

I am so saddened by the passing of Denis for all of you and myself.  Denis and I didn’t stay in touch but we worked together in Calgary and I have nothing but fond memories of him as a leader, guider, mentor and really just a soft soul.  Rest in Peace Denis and know you will always be remembered.