Dennis Leininger

Dennis Alfred Leininger, age 72, resident of Stanchfield, MN, passed away Saturday, August 23, 2014 at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, MN.

Dennis was born November 14, 1941 in Tacoma, WA the first son of Alfred and Margie (Beach) Leininger. They moved to North Dakota when Dennis was about 2 years old. He grew up on a farm and was educated in Binford. At 5'8", he was a letter-earning point guard for the Binford Eagles. Folklore has it that Dennis killed a fox with his bare hands. In 1960 he responded to the call to serve his nation and enlisted in the Navy. However due to a minor heart ailment, he was sent home after 97 days of service. He moved to Fargo to attend Dakota Business College followed by travel of the US working for the Department of Interior. In 1963 with $27 in his pocket, he went in search of his fortune and moved to Southern California. With the support of his friends Larry and Lois Workman, he lived in Los Angeles and worked at Universal Studios. He started as a mail clerk and worked his way up to the Assistant to Chief Accountant in the Universal Tour Center in 1971. In 1969, while living in a duplex in Montrose, CA, he met his neighbor Carolyn and her two daughters Alanna and Tammy. He would soon make them his family when he married Carolyn on February 7, 1970. Dennis moved his daughters and pregnant wife to Minneapolis in 1971 where his son Craig was born. He enrolled at the Control Data Institute and studied computer programming. In 1974 daughter Rebecca was born. From 1973 - 1992, he pursued his career in computer science. He worked as a programmer for Kaiser Permanente in Los Angeles from 1973 - 1975 and as a Systems Analyst and eventually a Regional Manager for NCR in Fargo ND, Dallas TX, and Chicago IL from 1975 - 1992. In 1992, Dennis took early retirement from NCR and with wife, Carolyn, became small business owners in Minnesota. Following retirement from being a business owner, he moved to Mora where he drove school bus, and enjoyed his land and horses. In 2014, Dennis fell ill and moved to Stanchfield until his death.

Dennis was an avid Vikings fan, teaching and embodying sportsmanship, fairness, tolerance, and true loyalty. Dennis taught how important it is to work hard, take risks, and have fun doing it. He taught that anything worth having is worth the hard work to get it even if it meant hitchhiking to LA with a small amount of money in his pocket. Dennis modeled empathy; he showed how to respect others enough to try to see and think about situations from their point of view. Dennis taught by example; he was honest, kind, and had respect for others. Dennis had a contagious personality; he always presented himself with a smile, a handshake, and his genuine desire to get to know everyone he met every day. Dennis' wife Carolyn said he was her "rock", her friend, a great father and a wonderful husband. He will be so terribly missed by her and always loved.

Dennis will be missed and remembered by his wife Carolyn Leininger; his children Alanna (Joseph) Eleshuk, Tammy (Al) Huf, Craig (Lisa) Leininger, Rebecca (Brent) Kress; 12 grandchildren: Brigitte, Matthew, Denise, Andrew, Joey, Samantha, Sophia, John, Aidan, Madelyn, Zane, and Katie; and sister Peggy (Steve) Reitz, brother Butch (Connie) Leininger, along with several nieces, nephews and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his parents, sister Lois and brother Michael.

Funeral services for Dennis will be held Saturday, August 30, 2014 at 11:00AM in the Zion Lutheran Church, rural Binford, ND. Visitation will be held one hour prior to services in the church. Interment will be in the Zion Lutheran Church Cemetery.

There will be a celebration of Dennis' life in the Cambridge area on Saturday 9/6/2014. An announcement will follow on Facebook and in local newspapers.