Dennis Gordon Van Hook, 70, passed away peacefully at Benefis Peace Hospice on Tuesday, September 22, 2020. He was surrounded by his family and dearest friends.
Dennis was born on June 3, 1950, in Peoria, Illinois. Dennis joined the Navy in 1969 and was stationed in San Diego, California. He started out packing parachutes, but by the end of his five years he had started and developed an alcohol abuse counseling program for his naval base.
After leaving the Navy, Dennis stayed in San Diego and attended San Diego State University, earning a BA in social welfare, as well as meeting his future wife, Karen. In 1980, they decided to leave the beaches of California for the mountains of Colorado where Dennis earned a Master’s Degree of Social Work at the University of Denver.
In 1984, Dennis Joined the United States Air Force and was stationed at Travis Air Force Base in California. Dennis practiced clinical social work for the Air Force. After three years in California, Dennis was transferred to Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls, Montana where he served the Great Falls community as a clinical social worker for more than 30 years. Whether practicing at Malmstrom Air Force Base, the local hospital, or the community mental health center, Dennis devoted his life to serving others. He also loved to teach his craft as a professor of psychology at Park University.
His kooky personality and one-of-a-kind smile will not soon be forgotten, and the memories of Dennis zipping around town in his Miata or cruising along the river on his Vespa scooter will be in our hearts forever.
To read the complete obituary and share condolences, visit the Schnider Funeral Home website.
