Denver Allen Stephenson of Franklin Furnace, Ohio went to be with the Lord Wednesday, March 8, 2017 at the Florida Hospital in Altamonte Springs, Florida. The family provided the following information:

Denver was 77 years old and recovering from a recent operation when he succumbed to pneumonia and other complications. He lived a full life of extraordinary experiences and an unwavering dedication to his family and friends. Denver was born to Charles and Grace (Shockey) Stephenson on December 30, 1939 in their family home in Boyd County, Kentucky. He grew up around Ashland, Kentucky and then later the family moved to Franklin Furnace, Ohio where he graduated from Green Township High School in 1958. He then enlisted and honorably served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve during the Vietnam era. He completed basic training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Paris Island, South Carolina in 1958. He immediately followed boot camp by attending Advanced Infantry Training at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Denver continued to serve in the USMC Reserve until his discharge in 1965 attaining the rank of PFC and earning the Nation Defense Service Medal and Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal.

Denver was united in marriage to Marilyn Ann (Smith) Stephenson on November 24, 1965 in Sciotoville, Ohio. Together they bought a house in Franklin Furnace, Ohio and grew the family with three daughters before moving to Longview, Texas. They also lived in Seguin and San Antonio, Texas as well as Detroit, Michigan.

During the course of his 40+ year career as a Millwright, Denver helped design, install, repair, and maintain machinery in multiple industries across the country and even abroad. His significant jobs took him to Virginia, Maine, Texas, New York, Michigan, and Puerto Rico and included supervising large facilities of complex machinery to include the Bay City Nuclear Power Plant in Houston, Texas and the Detroit Water Treatment Facility in Detroit, Michigan where he retired as the General Foreman and member of Millwright Local 1102. Denver enjoyed a number of hobbies like carpentry, automotive repair, and hair dryer refurbishment. Additionally, he was a member of the Gentleman John's Motorcycle Club of Haverhill, Ohio and several workers' unions; however, his real love was bass fishing.

Denver was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 39 years, Marilyn Stephenson, who died October 30, 2006 after battling ovarian cancer. He is survived by his three daughters, Lana Stephenson Lind and husband, Pete, of Manhattan, Kansas; Janette Stephenson Baker and husband, Lance, of Wesley Chapel, Florida; and Sherri Stephenson Hess and husband, Al, of Port Saint Lucie, Florida; his sister, Carolyn (Kaye Stephenson) Derifield and husband, Dallas, of Groveland, Florida; five grandchildren, William and Stephen Lind of Manhattan, Kansas and Emma, Nathan, and Nora Baker of Wesley Chapel, Florida and many nieces, nephews, other family and friends.

Relatives and friends are invited to Denver's memorial service at 2:00pm on Sunday, March 19, 2017 at the Becker Funeral Home, 806 West Minneola Avenue, Clermont, Florida. The family will receive guests from 1:30pm until the time of the service. Interment with military honors will occur at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made in Denver's name to the Special Olympics (specialolympics.org) or the Wounded Warrior Project (woundedwarriorproject.org). The family of Denver Stephenson wishes to thank Emerald Lakes Co-Op in Clermont, Florida; D.W. Swick-Nelson Funeral Home in New Boston, Ohio; Becker Funeral Home in Clermont, Florida; Union Local 1102 in Lansing, Michigan, and the United States Marine Corps Burial Detail.