Dennis Massey
He was my uncle, my mentor and more of a father to me than my own father was. He loved me in so many ways which is something I never got from my dad. He was so full of life and loved by so many people. He was a man's man and highly regarded as someone very special in so many ways. He was always respected by his peers and considered to be a person with special qualities and leadership abilities which was why he became a leader in his position as a senior master sergeant in the United States air force. He served his country with pride and self esteem for over 40 years. He began his service time during world War 2 as a young sailor while serving aboard a ship in the United States navy. Upon the end of the war is when he joined the air force where he served in the Korean War as a navigator on a bomber flight crew. After the Korean War he served in vietnam.
I loved my uncle and am very proud to say I was his nephew. When I was just a boy he and I took a long trip in his green Oldsmobile 88 to Lebanon Missouri from San bernardino California to my grandparents house. During that very memorial trip we stopped in many different locations to find somewhere to eat.
One time we stopped at a restaurant where they had all you could
eat chicken and I ate more than they thought I would. Uncle Bill had them give me a large bag to go. Somehow during our trip I lost my shoes, so I went without shoes until we got to Missouri where he took me to get some new ones.
I can remember my uncle was always good at telling stories about things and people he did or new in his life and they were always interesting but very funny.
He could keep you entertained for hours. One of my favorite recollections was always about losing my shoes because he said that he turned that car inside and out searching for them. Many years later I had the pleasure of going to Springfield Missouri and stay with him and my wonderful loving aunt Bonnie who was so very special in her own way. When I was leaving to go home, the
last thing he said to me was "Dennis don't lose your shoes on the way home#
In 2009 I went to Columbus Missouri where I stayed with my cousin Cheryl Patterson the daughter of my late uncle John. Together we went to Springfield to attend my uncle bills funeral. During the ENDOSCOPIC of the proceedings the funeral director read a letter that had some statements my uncle had made to pass on and one of them was to remind me to not lose my shoes.
My uncle was a character as well as a terrific husband and father who never forgot about his family and loved ones. Needless to say I miss him very much but will cherish his memory for as long as I live.