Dennis Gresham

Dennis Andrew (Denny) Gresham of Sheridan, beloved husband of Megan Kendrick Gresham and father of Calvin and Malcolm, died on April 23, 2021, in Billings, Montana.

Denny was born November 20, 1987, in Englewood, Colorado. He was the son of Ronald and Rebecca Gresham, now of Franktown, Colorado. He grew up in Castle Rock, Colorado, and attended the public schools there, graduating from Douglas County High School in 2006. He then attended Arapahoe Community College, from which he received an Associate degree in 2010.

Denny went to work in 2007 as a draftsman for Vacutech, a manufacturer of vacuum systems for the carwash industry headquartered in Centennial, Colorado. John F. Tucker, CEO of Vacutech, remembers: “Dennis was one of the most focused, enjoyable, and dependable workers for our company, often working long hours to complete projects. He never gave up on a project or working to find creative solutions. I had the privilege of supervising this fine young man, and we became close friends. He was always there for me!”

He moved to Sheridan in 2012 when Vacutech relocated its offices there. Then in 2019, he joined Spotless Wash Solutions USA Inc. as a senior systems integration designer.

In Sheridan he met and married Megan Kendrick in 2014. Whether Megan and Denny were riding their motorcycles, playing with the kids, or hosting open invitation barbecues for their wide circle of friends on their farm, they had joyous, loving fun.

Megan wrote:

My Sweetpea is gone. On Friday, April 23rd, my husband Denny Gresham’s body was found at a crime scene. He was the victim of a senseless, random and hideous act of evil.

Denny was the purest, most untarnished, genuine soul. He was never anything but steady. He craved adventure, and he was always hungry to eat miles on his motorcycles. His big blue eyes were the window to thoughts that only sweet Denny was capable of conceiving and bringing to fruition. Solutions, ideas, innovations, improvements — he was a creator and passionate about opening those possibilities to anyone in the community, so he worked with a few amazing people and founded the Phorge Makerspace. He had his own way of understanding the world that was both uniquely genius and also so innocent.

Denny loved his entire family, especially Calvin and Malcolm. His devotion to fatherhood and raising our boys to be good men was unmatched. Nothing made him happier than seeing his family enjoying each other.

My poor sweet Denny was murdered. I can’t wash his towel because it won’t be his anymore. Our boys’ little coats were in the van with him. He left a half-eaten bag of Doritos. There’s an Amazon package for him on the porch. I can only hope he wasn’t scared or in pain for long.

I had to hold our boys and tell them that Dad is dead. Strangers hurt him, and he died. I had to tell them that they can talk to the chickens and the horses and the cats who will gossip with the meadowlarks. And the meadowlarks will carry the word and sing it to the mountains. And the pine trees will hear and whisper a message back from Dad on the wind.

John B. (Jack) Kendrick III, Megan’s father, said: “I loved having Denny as a son-in-law.  He was a kind, devoted husband and so loving and attentive to his children. He became a good friend.  He taught me to homebrew beer and founded the Bighorn Homebrew Club.  I enjoyed working with him and the club, along with the WYO Theater, to organize the annual Untapped Homebrew Festival, which kicked off Rodeo Week as a joint fundraiser.

“Denny always had some sort of project in mind, and it was fun to watch him transform ideas into reality.  He had a quirky sense of humor. He couldn’t resist the sort of fun he described as ‘preposterous’, whether it was eating nothing but tacos at every meal on a motorcycle trip to Mexico or driving his little boys around town in the side-car of his candy apple-red motorcycle.  I already miss him and will remember him forever.”

In addition to being with his family, Denny enjoyed spending time playing his guitar and riding motorcycles. With his lifelong friend Brenden Anders he made long bike trips throughout the West, up to Alaska, and down to Mexico.

“Denny had a thirst for adventure,” Brenden remembers. “He was always fun to be around. I lost my best adventure partner.” Brenden said Denny wanted to share with others his passion to design and make things.

This passion led Denny to co-found Phorge Makerspace in Sheridan, a gathering spot for people to share ideas, equipment, and knowledge while working on projects as diverse as sewing, rocketry, fabrication, 3d printing, coding, woodworking, and soap-making.

“If he could help others, he always had time and energy for them,” Brenden recalls. “He was selfless, a very giving guy who was always there for you, never asking anything in return.”

He is survived by his wife; his two sons; his parents; his sisters Emily Weinstein of Williston, Vermont, and Rochelle Barber of Haviland, Kansas; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins.

A private service and interment will be held in the Kendrick family area of the Sheridan Municipal Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Gresham Family GoFundMe page, the Megan Kendrick Gresham Family Memorial account through Bank of The West in Sheridan,  1 (307) 674-4411, or a charity of your choice.

Online condolences may be written at sheridanfuneral.com. Arrangements are under the care of Sheridan Funeral Home.