Dennis Henry Verbeek was born in Evergreen Park, Illinois, on December 10, 1947, to parents Henry and Genevieve (Biegel) Verbeek, and he grew up in Chicago. He passed away on September 5, 2024, at the age of 76.
A military veteran, he had served in the Army and was stationed in Berlin. He received a bachelor’s degree in electronics engineering technology and a master’s degree in computer science. As a computer scientist, Dennis was awarded a United States patent for “Dynamic Speed of Answer Recorder” in 1976 while working at GTE Automatic Electric Laboratories in Northlake, Illinois. Following that, Dennis moved to Dallas, Texas, to accept his dream job working for Texas Instruments. In 1987, Dennis was named Member, Group Technical Staff at Texas Instruments “in recognition for excellence in technical contributions to Information Systems and Services”. He later worked at Nortel Networks as a software development manager, and he retired from that company.
On May 3, 1986, Dennis married his soul mate, Gloria Moreno, an engineering manager with Texas Instruments. Throughout their 38 years of marriage, Dennis and Gloria always had Friday night and Saturday night dates. Both loved to travel in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Dennis was very analytical, and he could diagnose and fix mechanical, electrical, and computer problems. Gloria had a phrase she often expressed: “My honey can fix anything!”
Dennis was a natural at sports: baseball, tennis, water skiing and snow skiing, but he especially loved the game of golf. He organized golf tournaments for over 25 years for his golf friends. They looked forward to the annual 3-day outings that Dennis had planned and organized for months. Growing up a Chicago Bears fan, he also became a Dallas Cowboys fan after moving to Texas.
Dennis was an outgoing and social person who could easily strike up a conversation with a stranger. He was a giver and a leader by nature, so he was active in his community, just for the pleasure of giving back. For several years, he served as president of the homeowners’ association, and later as president of the utility district.
Words that describe Dennis: Kind, giving, good guy, great husband, organized, leader, outgoing, sports-loving, analytical, and the love of Gloria’s life.
Dennis is survived by his beloved family: loving wife, Gloria Moreno Verbeek; sister Jean LaRoche and her sons, Ben Williams and Brian Williams, brothers-in-law, and many loving nieces and nephews.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, September 28, 2024, at Allen Family Funeral Options. If you wish to view the service via webcast, please visit: https://webcast.funeralvue.com/events/viewer/104759
There will be a reception immediately following the service.
If desired, memorial contributions in lieu of flowers may be made to the Dallas Area Parkinson Society, https://www.daps.org.