Dennis Vessup

O’Reilly Funeral Home, Inc. is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Funeral Visitation & Service for Mr. Dennis Vessup
Time: May 13, 2023 10:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Meeting ID: 857 5472 4652

*** TO OBTAIN THE PASSCODE FOR THIS LIVE ZOOM EVENT, PLEASE CONTACT US AT (718) 528- 6969 OR EMAIL US AT OREILLYFH@AOL.COM ***

OBITUARY

DENNIS VESSUP, was born on September 19, 1948 on St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Island.
Dennis was the first born and oldest son of eight children born to the late Mavis Jennings
Olivace and the second child of four children born to the late Ansel Vessup. He lived on
St. Thomas with his late grandmother, Lenora Dyer, until age 12.
In the early 1960s, he joined his mother in Brooklyn, NY where he attended NYC public
schools and graduated in June 1969 from East New York Vocational High School in
Brooklyn, New York. Dennis was drafted into the United States Army in August 1969 and
was stationed in Germany for two years.
Dennis met Rose Venice Fenton at her high school prom. They stayed in touch through
his time in the military. After his honorable discharge, he returned to the States where he
enrolled in the Army Reserve for a short time. Rose and Dennis continued dating and
they wed on September 9, 1972. They had two sons, Kevin Shawn and Julian Ansel.

Dennis was employed by the City of New York for over 30 years –
first in the Parks
Department and after in the Health Department from where he retired in 2007. Dennis
was an avid fisherman. Often, we would drop him off at the Bay, not far from the house,
with his fishing rod and cooler. There he would spend the day fishing and relishing the
tranquility of the day. He also was quite a skillful handyman who enjoyed performing
tasks involving plumbing, painting, carpentry, car repair and other home renovation
projects. Dennis was quite energetic until his debilitating health issues forced him to slow
down. Those who knew Dennis knew he loved to party. He was usually the “life of the
party” and on EVERY Labor Day could be found on the Parkway dancing and singing to
a Reggae, Socca or Calypso tune.
Dennis was preceded in death by his sons Rodney and James. He is survived by his
wife, Rose; sons, Kevin and Julian; daughter-in-law, Divina; grandsons, Kaiden and
Carson; granddaughter, Diamond; Aunts: Edris Lewis, Audrey Samuels, Muriel Dyer,
Mildred Hyman and Valencia Dyer; siblings: Debra Little, Claudette Jennings, Eolannie
Jennings, Andreas Jennings, Reahienia Williams, Gwendolyn Minors and Terrance
Mulraine, Earl, Lorna and Linda Vessup; sisters-in-law, Elizabeth Fenton, Leona Fenton,
Elva Prescott; brother-in-law, David Fenton, along with a host of nieces and nephews and
other family members and friends.