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Denison, Rodger "Tim" E.

November 11, 1932 –
 July 8, 2016

Obituary

DENISON, Rodger E. “Tim” Rodger E. “Tim” Denison died July 8, 2016. He was 83 and will be greatly missed. Tim was born November 11, 1932, in Fort Worth to A. Rodger and Maude Espy Denison. He was raised in Tulsa and graduated from Wentworth Military Academy in Missouri. He went on to obtain a bachelor’s degree in geology from the University of Oklahoma. He was drafted and completed Ranger training in Georgia before serving two years in Korea. He was a well-respected platoon leader in Korea, although he rarely spoke of his service. His family knew about his time there from mementos he brought back. It was in Korea that he developed a fondness for classical music, not as much initially for its beauty, but because classical music records were only a dollar, the cheapest of the available music. He taught his family to love classical music, too. Tim returned from Korea and enrolled in the geology master’s program at the University of Oklahoma. It was there, in 1957, that he met Caroline Holmes on a blind date. A spark must have been kindled, because they married three months later on December 26, 1957. After completing his master’s degree, Tim did a brief stint at the University of California at Berkeley before coming to the University of Texas at Austin to complete his doctorate. His association with UT would last his entire life, and it was there he formed seminal and lasting relationships with other geologists with whom he would work for decades. Even after graduation, he remained active in the geology department (now called Jackson School of Geosciences) until his death. He was one of the youngest people ever named to the Advisory Council, and he missed only three of the advisory committee meetings in his more than four decades of service. By the time he finished his education, Tim and Caroline’s daughters Kelly and Cambria (named for a geologic era) had been born. In 1964, Tim took a job as a researcher with Mobil Oil and the family moved to Dallas. Except for 14 years as a consultant, Tim worked for Mobil (now ExxonMobil) his entire career. He developed into an expert on the geology of Oklahoma, especially the Arbuckle Mountains. When he wasn’t working, he rebuilt Alfa Romeos; played tennis; read a wide range of books, especially history; and collected Bullwinkle memorabilia. A treasured possession was a bubble bath container in the shape of Bullwinkle that he painted gold to resemble an Oscar statue. His family will remember him as a superb team member to have in a game of Trivial Pursuit; a weekend cook whose specialties were nachos, and grilled cheese made in the waffle iron; a connoisseur of both good and cheap beer; and an avid Simpsons fan. He could recall dozens of New Yorker cartoons. He was very fond of cats, of which the family had many over the years, and of escaping the heat each Texas summer to go to Colorado. In later years, he and Caroline traveled widely with their daughter Kelly and her husband, also named Tim. Tim Denison was a patient and flexible traveler no matter how challenging the circumstances. From him, his family learned the importance of showing up (on time!), being loyal, and getting an education. He also taught that the quietest people often have the funniest lines. He did not like vegetables (especially broccoli) or cell phones and tried to avoid both. Survivors include his wife of 58 years, Caroline Holmes Denison; daughter and son-in-law Kelly and Tim Harrell; daughter and son-in-law Cambria and Brian Reinsborough; grandchildren Calder, Reeve and Kellen Reins-borough; sister and brother-in-law D’Ann and Jay Kavanaugh; sister-in-law Sue Holmes Dunn and her husband, David; niece Molly Frank and her husband, Michael; niece Cassie Crosby and her husband, Doug; niece Tammy Kavanaugh and her husband, John; niece Palmer Kavanaugh; and nephew Morgan Kavanaugh, plus many great-nieces and -nephews. Donations may be made in his name to the Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin. A celebration of his life is planned for later date. Arrangements are under the direction of ARIA Cremation Service and Funeral Home 19310 Preston Road Dallas, Texas 75252 214-306-6700 Denison 2

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"I was amazed how professional the team at Aria Funeral Preston Dallas Texas are. They guided me through the process and my options of their services that they offered for my mother. They are compassionate, caring, calm, good listener, efficient and did an excellent job! Thank you!"
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"If I could give 6 stars I would. Aria made a difficult easier to deal with by basically taking care of everything in an efficient but very empathetic manner. I can speak highly enough of Dusty Martin, who helped us with all of the planning and logistics. He was incredibly understanding and helpful."
Angel M.
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"Nothing prepares you for the grief you go through when losing a child. I called this funeral home at 2:00 am broken and could barely talk. The amount of compassion and empathy they showed me immediately let me know I found the right place to cremate my son. I cannot thank them enough for their professionalism, SINCERE concern, and commitment to making sure my son was honored in the most respectful way. I hope this Funeral home values her as much as my family and I do."
McGee Family
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"Wayne and Staff, thank you for taking care of the arrangements for our mom, Exter McGee and our dad, Philip McGee. You have been great to work with during such a difficult time."
Elledge Family
Elledge Family
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"On behalf of my family, I wanted you to know how much we appreciate your handling of my husband's final arrangements. Wayne Baxter assisted & guided us through the entire process with such care & compassion. Don't know what we would have done without him! Sincerely, Colleen Elledge"
The Peterson Family
The Peterson FamilyYelp! Review - Northwest Highway 5-Stars
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"I can’t say enough about how helpful and professional Dusty Martin, the funeral director at the Aria Cremation location on NW Highway has been. From my initial call, he was kind and informative. My friend died at home while on hospice and she was picked up in about an hour after receiving the call from the hospice nurse. The person who arrived to pick her up was also very professional/respectful and allowed us to take as much time with her as we wished. When I met with Dusty the next day about arrangements, he explained the process and options available without being pushy or trying to “sell” extras. Throughout the process, he kept me informed and, for example, was careful to be certain I understood the cost of the obituary I wanted and offered some options for reducing that cost if I wished. When I stopped by for another reason and started talking about some of the problems I was having with the pictures and media I hoped to use at a memorial lunch I was planning, he not only listened patiently but offered technology advice and let me use his personal media player. I have had experience arranging cremations for four others using two other local companies, and this experience with Dusty at Aria has been by far the best one I have had."
Paula Barnes
Paula BarnesGoogle Review
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"My Daddy’s service and our family experience at Aria Northwest Highway was truly blessed. Funeral Director Dustin Martin is the kind of person that you would like to see on a more regular basis – but in his industry – you hope to not see him that often. That being said – THANK YOU DUSTIN for your unending kindness, compassion and friendship through the process. Meeting you and discussing Dallas History, Find A Grave and my Dad’s lifelong contributions to the great City of Dallas was simply wonderful! In memory of my dad James A. Dodd, Sr. – I want to personally thank you and let you know that you made everything better in that moment. Your calling to “Be There” is spot on. Aria has a one in a million guy in you! Bling Blinky of TEXAS Shout Out: God Bless You!!"
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Important Information

  1. If death has occurred and or is imminent, please call the Aria location nearest you.

    PRESTON ROAD
    214.306.6700

    NORTHWEST HIGHWAY
    214.340.8008

    BELTLINE ROAD
    972.607.4400

  2. Click here to Download the Cremation Forms.
  3. Have the cremation authorization form notarized
  4. Fax the forms back to us at:
    • NW Highway
      214-340-8009
    • Preston Rd.
      972-526-7410
    • Belt Line Rd.
      972-573-1008
 

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