Dennis "Denny" L. Watkins

Dennis (Denny) Lee Watkins, 74, of Sioux City, passed away on Saturday, June 2, in a local hospital from a three-year battle with pulmonary fibrosis, COPD, pulmonary hypertension, and emphysema.

A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, June 6, at 11 a.m. at Faith United Presbyterian Church, 4327 Morningside Avenue in Sioux City with Rev. David Koehler officiating. Private family burial service will be held at Memorial Park Cemetery before the memorial service. A visitation will be held at Meyer Brothers Morningside Chapel (6200 Morningside Ave.) Tuesday, June 5, with the family present from 6-8 p.m.  Online condolences may be expressed at www.meyerbroschapels.com

Dennis was born on May 21, 1944, in Toledo, Ohio, to Harold and Mary (Price) Watkins, the oldest of three children. He grew up in Toledo and graduated from Libby High School in 1962, where he was standout baseball player. After high school he started working at Jeep in Toledo and also started attending night school at the University of Toledo. In 1965 he received his draft notice and instead enlisted in the United States Air Force. He attended computer school in Biloxi, MS for 13 months and then received his first assignment—the Sioux City Iowa Air Base. This is where he met the love of his life and his soul mate, Marilyn Kay Valeika. They were married on June 10, 1967, at Third Presbyterian Church, in Sioux City. He was blessed with two wonderful children—Chad Jason Watkins and Amanda Kay Watkins. Chad blessed him with two beautiful granddaughters, Lydia Watkins and Evelyn Watkins.

After his discharge from the Air Force in 1968, he attended Morningside College and graduated in May of 1972. Immediately upon his graduation, he began working at the computer center at Morningside and remained at this position for 35 years, retiring in March of 2007.

Denny never met a golf course he didn’t want to play a round or two on. He could always be found at Green Valley Golf Course playing with his usual group of golf buddies or just joining up with a group of others who were playing. He loved everything about the game of golf—watching it on television, reading books and almost every golf magazine; he especially enjoyed the 19th hole.

Denny belonged to Faith United Presbyterian Church (Third Presbyterian Church until their merger with Morningside Presbyterian Church). He was a former member of Sioux City Morning Optimist Club.

Denny is survived by his wife, Marilyn; his children Chad (Heather) Watkins of South Sioux City, Nebraska; and Amanda (Andrew Dunn) Watkins of Newport News, Virginia. His two granddaughters Lydia Watkins of Lawton, Iowa and Evelyn Watkins of South Sioux City, Nebraska; his sister Debbie Lee of Lambertville, Michigan, brother-in-law Gary Valeika of Sandy, Utah and many nieces and nephews in Ohio.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Harold and Mary Watkins, his brother Dean Watkins; his parents’-in-law Victor and LaVonne Valeika; brother-in-law Victor Valeika and a special niece Vicki Sue Valeika Looman.

Memorials can be directed to a fund in care of the family from which a memorial bench will be purchased and placed at a hole at Green Valley. Any extra funds will be donated to Faith United Presbyterian Church toward the Bell Fund.