Dennis Shennard was born in Trenton, New Jersey, and was a lifelong resident of the small town of Kingston, New Jersey.

He joined the Kingston Volunteer Fire Company in January of 1969 and was a constant presence at the firehouse for the rest of his life. During his years of active membership, he served in different positions as both a line officer and executive officer and was serving as a trustee at the time of his passing. You couldn’t stop him from going to a fire call. At times, it felt as if his truck would turn into a 747 in his hurry to get there.

Dennis truly dedicated his life to firefighting. We lost him on June 26, 2021, while he was training with his fellow firefighters during a live burn drill. He had just turned 70 years old two weeks prior.

Besides his love of firefighting, Dennis loved camping and motorcycle riding. He was an active member of the New Jersey Red Knights Chapter 22. He also enjoyed hunting, fishing, and spending time outdoors. Most people will also remember for him for his love of eating. When ordering pizzas for the firehouse, it was always recommended to order another pizza pie just for Dennis.

In 2019, Dennis retired from Global Terminals, where he worked on the docks in Bayonne for 25 years. One of his most remarkable memories from working in Bayonne was that he witnessed the planes flying into the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001.

Prior to his time on the docks, he was a welder and mechanic for Princeton Nurseries in Kingston for 27 years. He loved to fix things and enjoyed a challenge—so much so that things around the house were put aside while he was helping someone else with something more interesting to work on.

He will be missed by all that knew him, especially his family: his wife of 52 years, Patti Kay Shennard; his son, Dennis B Shennard II, and his wife, Louise Shennard; plus his two grandchildren, Michaela and Joseph Shennard.