I thought we'd have more time.
I wanted to describe Dennis to someone earlier, and the first word that came to mind was proud. Not so much proud of himself (though I hope he was)—but proud of his people. Of his girls, his ladies, the choirs, and everything we had gone on to become. He was proud of me. Always delighted to be in touch. Always thrilled to hear my news and stories. And he loved to tell me how well others were doing—he was always so proud of us.
It's hard to imagine the world without Dennis planning his next project, his next choir, his next concert. Dennis was always moving. Planning, building, creating. New projects, new businesses, new choirs, new concerts. He never seemed to stop. We would occasionally meet in Bury Market—sometimes planned and other times accidentally bumping into each other. It became a standing joke—and a hope—that we'd see each other again at Bury Market. This photo was taken there, in December 2022.
Since then we'd kept trying to meet. The last time I was home I had to cancel because I was sick. I thought—hoped—we'd meet this summer. Instead, I'll always think of him when I'm at Bury Market.
Rest easy, Dennis.
Mary-Eve McNerney
08/07/2026
