Dennis P. Wilkins

Dennis “Denny” Paul Wilkins was born May 31st, 1944 in Rapid City, South Dakota. He was the son of George and Margaret (Bloom) Wilkins. Denny had 6 other siblings, of which he was the third child, and he spent his early school years regularly moving throughout different towns and states with his parents, often with the purpose of finding consistent work.

Most of the jobs Denny and his family took during this time consisted of harvesting peaches and onions, as well as collecting eggs on chicken and dairy farms. These early years provided many challenges for Denny and his family. However, as he grew older, he began to appreciate those “difficult times,” because he was able to work alongside his dad—an experience which ultimately allowed Denny to develop his strong, meticulous work ethic, for which he would always be known and admired.

Denny got married for the first time at an early age, ultimately having 7 children—5 sons and 2 daughters—during his first marriage. Then, in 1967, he moved to Belvidere, Illinois with one of his brothers to work at the then newly opened Chrysler Plant. Denny’s brother soon moved back to South Dakota. Denny, however, chose to stay in Belvidere. And in 1968, he started work at Green Giant, where he stayed for the next 40 years! While at Green Giant, something very noteworthy happened:  he met his future wife, Connie Nordman. The two married in 1978, and they remained happily married for the next 46 years!

In 2006, Denny retired from General Mills. During his 18 year retirement, he was most happy when he could be outside, whether it was in his yard, in his garage, in his shed, or sitting on the deck with his wife, Connie. In fact, he loved being outside in his yard so much, that the first part of his daily routine was to make a pot of coffee, and then, as he called it, he would “walk the perimeter” of his property. This allowed him to see what “work” needed to be done that day. This was a task that was often accompanied by his two, long time cats—Pat and Mike. Denny would have his coffee cup in one hand, and in the other hand, he’d have the leashes of his two cat assistants. He truly loved those experiences!

Denny’s surviving family would like to express our most heartfelt appreciation and thanks to the following medical professionals: Dr. Steven Disanti and Dr. Shobah Iyengar; Sanctuary Hospice staff: Kristen, Julie, Leah, Krista, Gabriella, Bridgett, and Tess.

All these folks went above and beyond to make sure that Denny was as comfortable as possible and that his wishes and concerns were addressed promptly and respectfully. Every single one of those people also provided unwavering support to his wife, Connie, as she did her absolute best to help Denny navigate this truly challenging time.

He is loved and will be missed by his beloved wife, Connie; children, Troy, Tracy, Lincoln, Dee Jay, Dale, Paula, Mitchell; numerous grandchildren; siblings, Richard, Margaret, Norma, Cindy. Also, Denny leaves behind sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Carol (Roman) Garcia, Dan Flynn, Cheryl (Tom) Wennmacher, Cindy (Craig) Wilcox, and David (Sue) Nordman who were an immense help and support to Connie who is forever thankful. He is preceded in death by his parents, son, Bryon; brothers, Herman and Leonard. 

There will be a visitation Tuesday, January 7, 2025 from 10:00 A.M. to 11:30 A.M. at the Belvidere Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Belvidere, IL. A celebration of life will begin at 11:30 A.M. In lieu of flowers memorials can be made to Sanctuary Hospice. Condolences may be shared with the family at www.belviderefh.com.