Benjamin Franklin Dennis - Obituary

t was his 97th birthday. He looked at well-wishers of family and friends gathered in the room. His wife Anni squeezed his hand. A phone call from grandsons Benjamin and Marcus in Chicago brought a smile. Moments later, Benjamin F. Dennis left this earth to begin his everlasting journey. He died in his Annapolis, Md. home after a short illness on October 6, 2016. His life filled with riches of family, friends and fun. Wherever he went, Ben Dennis brought good cheer. He loved jazz and blues. He devoted his time to community service and loved to hunt and fish. Most importantly, he shared his world with his wife and family. There was a time in his life never forgotten. In 1940, Mr. Dennis entered the U.S. army. As WWII unfolded, 140 African American soldiers of the 3871 QM Truck Company played a key role in the European Theatre, landing on Omaha Beach only weeks after the Normandy invasion. The men were the last to serve under the Army’s segregation policy. African Americans made up over one million of the more than 16 million U.S. men and women to serve in World War II. Mr. Dennis was one of those men. He was first sergeant of QM Truck Company – one of the 125,000 African Americans to serve overseas. Service to his country did not end with his honorary discharge from the Army in 1945. He went on to work for the National Security Agency until retirement in 1973. Born in Martinsburg, W.Va., Mr. Dennis was raised in Harrisburg, Pa. During later years, he lived in the Washington, DC area much of his life. He liked to tell stories of seeing jazz greats Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald at the Howard Theater. He married Mary Fordham in 1945. His wife, the mother of his son Michael and daughter Gail died, in 1977. Mr. Dennis remarried in 1983. He remains loved by his devoted wife of 33 years, Anna Schmied Dennis, his son Michael Fordham Dennis and partner Dan Marvin; daughter Anita M. Schmied with her husband Gary S. Medovich; grandsons Benjamin T. Robertson and his partner Nancy; Sekou Marcus Robertson and his wife Stacy, his three beloved great-grandchildren Selah, Joshua, and Sydney. Bernard Robertson, husband of daughter Gail Dennis Robertson who died December 2015. Mr. Dennis was the patriarch of the nuclear Dennis family. He is survived by a host of nephews, nieces and others including the families of Irvin and Lynn Heath; Solomaine and Ron Johnson; Cynthia Mimms, Mark and Jacquie Dennis; Roland Dennis Jr., Leonard and Helen Harris; Helena Dennis. Also, he greatly valued the friendship of Linda NeJame and Ethan Wilansky and their children Emma and Sarah. Interment is private. To honor his memory, contributions can be made to Hospice of the Chesapeake, 90 Ritchie Hwy, Pasadena, MD 21122. Condolences and tributes may be made by using the link on this page.