Dennis Lemuel McCall passed away at home under Hospice Care at age 84 after courageous battle with Alzheimer’s. Dennis was born at the old Westside District Hospital on April 22, 1942. the first child to parents Jack & Helen McCall. He was born just before his father Jack McCall shipped off over seas during WWII.
Dennis attended local grammar schools and graduated from Taft High School in 1961 and later Taft College. At Taft High he excelled with his humor & wit, with his make believe character Elmar Fud in high school talent shows.
Dennis loved sports, especially football and took up announcing at school sporting events, and om one occasion became excited and shouted in the mic, “the son-of-a-bitch” dropped the ball. He found the love of his life while attending high school, Janice Thomas whom he would later marry. After graduating high school and Taft College his love for news/sports continued as he went on to cover most sporting events and other happenings as a reporter for the Taft Midway Driller where he later became the papers young Editor.
He was not afraid to get tackled himself as he coved all sports especially Cougar football games at Taft College where he made the New York Times after he was beat up while covering and incident involving black college football players and local roughnecks.
Dennis wanted to expand his education and talent for journalism and rerolled at Fresno State University where he continued his carrier working for (UPI) United Press International all while attending college courses with Jan by his side. He earned his Masters Degree and returned to Taft College where he taught journalism, speech, and as he put it, bonehead English and supervised the college newspaper, The Cougar Echo. He always told the story of giving a speech assignment for each students speech was to “demonstrate”, and one student brought a tall beer to class and demonstrated how to chug a beer.
Dennis was very active in our community even after retirement as he & Jan volunteer at the West Kern Oil Museum, Dennis was a very active member of the Optimist Club that sponsored many local events, announcer at parades and sporting events, covering local sports for the Midway Driller and went that extra mile where he was working with hearing impaired students so he took up sign language to improve his communications with the students.
He and Jan took Foster children, at times a very difficult task and took in a foreign exchange student form Columbia, who became an Orthodontist and whom they remained close to and was with him on his final days.
As his sister Bonnie wrote, “Dennis touched so many lives, lives of those less fortunate and those who had rough starts in life. He tried to make a difference. some have succeeded , some didn’t, some have remained very close & adored him. Unfortunately, some took advantage of his kindness & generosity”.
He will be missed by all who knew him, even those who did not but the memories will live on in our hearts forever. Dennis was proceeded in death by his loving wife Janice, and parents Jack & Helen McCall, and his sweet companion Flit who passed away last month.
He is survived by brother Jim McCall of Taft & sister Bonnie Crabb & husband Don of Bakersfield, Niece Julie Santiago & husband Hernan & family Jersey, Jaxton & Jet of Bakersfield Niece Laurie Juhnke & husband Pete of Rhododendron Or. and special extended family who adored him and kept in touch from N. Dakota, Alissa, Joe & Joshua, and especially Silva who was with him during his final days, many cousins, aunts & uncles, friends & neighbors and special thanks to Hoffman Hospice for the comfort and care they gave him.
There will be no formal service as Dennis & Jan chose Neptune Society but please donate to the Taft College Student Fund or a charity of your choice in Dennis’s memory.
Alzheimer’s can affect an entire family and there is no known cure but continued love, respect, and strong family support will help the entire family through those rough times.