Stephen L. Denton's Obituary
Stephen L. (Reno) Denton, 68, of Springfield, formerly of Decatur, passed away on Thursday, July 23, 2015 at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield. Steve was born July 28, 1946 in Decatur, Illinois, the son of Francis John Denton and Estola (Collenberger) Denton. Steve leaves behind his beloved son, Gregg (Alison) Denton of Chicago; sister, Jane Spicer (Rick Chamberlain) of Decatur; nephews, Jerry Spicer (Todd Stevens) of Los Angeles, CA; Jason Johnson (Jennifer Vogel) of Decatur, IL and special friends, Nona Myers and Bill Marrs of Springfield. He is preceeded in death by his parents.
Steve graduated from MacArthur High School in Decatur in 1964. He continued his education at Lake Land College in Mattoon and the University of Illinois at Springfield where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree in Labor Relations.
Steve proudly served his country in the Army during the Vietnam Conflict. Because of this experience, he was committed to helping other veterans throughout his life. He was a member of several service organizations, including the American Legion, the VFW, the DAV, and the Elks Club.
Steve was an innovator, an entrepreneur and an activist for union employee’s rights and the rights of veterans. He had a deep sense of pride for his country. He started out working as a conductor for the Wabash Cannonball. After his military duty and upon completing his education, he held several jobs in state government that supported his passion to helping others including the Department of Public Aid, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and the Department of Natural Resources. Steve also founded the Veteran’s Protective League, a charity devoted to helping veterans and their families. Steve retired from the State in 2002.
Steve became interested in “muscle/sports” cars as a teenager and was able to enjoy owning several Corvettes, two Camaros, a Mustang, several Dodge Stealths and an MGB. Collecting artwork and shopping on ebay were other interests that Steve enjoyed. His unique sense of humor and keeping up with pop culture and was a trait admired by others. He was an avid sports fan and followed many teams, including the Cubs, the Blackhawks, the fighting Illini and the Springfield Senators. Steve was a loving son, brother, and father. He dearly loved his son, Gregg and was overjoyed at being able to attend his son’s wedding to Alison in Cary, Illinois on July 3, 2015.
Services to celebrate Steve’s life will be held at Moran & Goebel Funeral Home. 2801 North Monroe in Decatur, on Monday, July 27, 2015, at 7 p.m. Visitation will be 5:30-7:00 p.m. on Monday, July 27, 2015 at Moran & Goebel Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a memorial contribution to the Wounded Warrior Project (woundedwarriorproject.org).
The family of Stephen L. Denton is being served by Moran & Goebel Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 2801 N. Monroe Street, Decatur, IL. View the on line obituary and send condolences to the family at www.moranandgoebel.com
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