Dennis Wilcox (Deceased), Bothell, WA Washington last lived in Port Angeles, WA USA

In Memory

Dennis Wilcox VIEW PROFILE

I am sad to let you know that Dennis Wilcox passed away of Pancreatic Cancer on October 17 2013. He was a very dear and long time friend and is very much missed.

Dennis's Obituary:

Here is a brief account of the life of a truly peerless man, Dr. Dennis Wilcox,

who passed away after a long and hard battle against pancreatic cancer on October

17, 2013. Many people have known Denny for decades, and others might

only have known him for a short time. Denny touched this community,

and here we commemorate his life in the best way we know how. If we

get a date or two wrong, take it up with Denny.

Denny was born in the fall of 1945 in Wenatchee, Washington, to Irwin

and Pauline Wilcox, who predeceased him. He grew up in the town of

Peshastin on an apple orchard. After a harrowing childhood running amok

in the orchards and learning about hard work and laughter, he graduated from Bothell High

in 1963. He tried college in Montana and at the University of Washington before enlisting in

the Navy in 1967 with the goal of becoming a frogman (later SEAL and earning his Trident).

However, after the required tests, his commanding officer informed him that he was going to

be moved over to aviation. As Denny would say “I can’t spell it, I might as well become one,”

and he did. He made a great pilot.

He graduated with “wings” from Pensacola, Florida, and was assigned to the VAW-124 squadron

(a plank group) to fly E-2A Hawkeye, or “Hummers” as they were affectionately known. Due

to his diligence and sh arp eye for detail, he became the Safety Officer for the squadron. His

first deployment after graduation was on the aircraft carrier Independence stationed in the

Mediterranean.

Denny met Linda Ann Thomas in December of 1964 and finally got her to agree to marry him on

May 9, 1967, once he had graduated from flight school. After serving in the Mediterranean, he

was reassigned stateside at Norfolk, Virginia, and completed his tour of service in 1969.

He re-enrolled in college and received his bachelor’s in biology from Western Washington State

College while continuing his Navy Reserve commitment at Whidbey Island and generally staying

as busy as he usually was… This past year his son, Craig, arranged for him to fly a P-51 Mustang,

and he had a great time buzzing the Sound and Whidbey Island, too. He tried to make a strafing

run at a sub that was in the water, but got stopped before they shot him out of the air.

Having worked at Animal Medical Clinic in Bothell as a teenager, he applied and was accepted into

the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1974 and graduated in 1978.

During that four-year stint of being hammered into the total class act of a veterinarian that he was,

he made friends, saved lives and handled stress that would have dropped most men or women his age.

He joined Animal Medical Clinic after graduation and worked there for a period of 2 years and

sharpened his skill sets as a vet. During that time, his oldest son, Barry, was born. The same year

the family flew to Hawaii so Denny could run in the Honolulu Marathon, an aspiring goal of just

being able to finish, which he did.

In 1980, he purchased the Angeles Clinic for Animals (Lars Sharpe’s practice) and excelled at

making the practice fly at the highest degree of standards available. For over 25 years, his practice

was recognized as an outstanding American Animal Hospital Association member (AAHA).

In 1984, his second son, Craig, was born, and with two boys who were growing up to be

competitive swimmers and cyclists, Denny kept busy on the sports scene being an avid and

ardent supporter of his sons. Both young gentlemen have excelled in their respective fields with

integrity and honor. And though they might not have appreciated it, Denny was extremely proud of

them and bragged about them a lot, in his own way.

Denny actually admitted to being a “Type A” personality, so just running a hospital, doing surgery

12 hours a day, going back and forth with all his community activities and being involved in

his sons’ sports left him too many unfulfilled seconds in a day. He began to look for another

outlet for his constant quest for knowledge. Denny was active in the Lions Club, United Way,

Law Enforcement Board, was President of the Humane Society, and served as a Civil Service

Commissioner of Clallam County. And he still didn’t fill up every second of every day. This defines

a Type A personality!

Having trained in martial arts — achieving a third degree black belt — and exposed to

the perceptions of the Orient, he decided to learn Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine — in

his spare time, of course. Being the rigorous student that he was, he managed to be the very first

Western veterinarian to receive his masters in China from the South China Agricultural University.

Still holds this record today. Considering that he spoke little, or actually no, Mandarin Chinese, his

accomplishment is phenomenal. After defending his thesis, South China Agricultural University

asked him to come teach Traditional Chinese

Veterinary Medicine. Why? Because he not only

understood Chinese Medicine, he lived it.

Denny and Linda parted ways during this period of his

life. It was a difficult time and decision for all parties

involved, but, in the long run, was the best decision to

be made. Both Denny and Linda found great partners

later to compliment their lives, and they still cared

about and for each other, to the best of their ability,

in support of their children and now their precious

grandchildren.

While in China studying Medical Qi Gong, Kathleen

basically told Denny to go climb a mountain, and,

believe it or not, that is exactly what Denny did! That

day, wandering on the mountain, he had a bit of an

epiphany… an epiphany that was to outline the rest of

his life. He came back to Washington and got his life

in order.

Denny and Kathleen reconnected a year later when Master Wan Su Jain paired them to work

together. They corresponded, talked, took long walks, worked on energy healing together, and

were married in 1999 on the shores of Lake Tahoe. They worked together with Qi Gong energy

techniques, craniosacral healing and nutritional therapy for all their patients, both two- and four-

legged.

Denny invoked his “exit plan” from the veterinary hospital and sold the practice to a corporate

buyer. Twelve days after the sale, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and thus began

the hardest battle of his life. Denny, being the great student that he was, researched his cancer

and probably knew more about the drugs, options, treatments and surgeries than most of

the oncologists whom he talked with. He knew the odds were long, the prognosis grave, and

yet he continued taking care of people and animals with a grace and humor that everyone

appreciated. When asked what therapy he was using, he always replied, “Gunpowder and lead.”

Kathleen and Denny spent the last few years following a new passion that they shared, in learning

everything they could about shooting and self-defense. Time was spent at Sig Sauer Academy

training and at Gunsite for open and closed environment ranges, and in learning to be a SWAT

team medic. Denny always said that Kathleen could outshoot him, was faster and a better shot

then he was, and when you consider that Denny put five rounds into a 4” x 4” square from 1,330

yards, it would seem prudent to not get Kathleen upset in the near future!

There are not many pictures of Denny Wilcox. He was as camera shy as the elusive Bigfoot, but on

the day that his youngest son was commissioned as an officer in the Navy, Denny allowed himself

to be photographed. Denny was an extremely quiet man, with a strong sense of Duty, Honor and

Service. Being able to pin LTjg bars on Craig was his continuation of family history, going back for

a hundred years in serving his country.

Denny is survived by his beloved wife, Kathleen; son, Barry Wilcox; son, LTjg Craig Wilcox and his

wife, Tiffany; and three grandchildren, Cooper, Paisley, and Lola; as well as his sister, Kay Simon;

and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Dennis had been a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1977 and

served in various church callings. With his faith in God, his honor and integrity, he strived to

remain strong, enduring a difficult time during adversity.

Therefore, we celebrate the life of a man, who lived his life fully — lived it with Honor, Integrity,

Dedication, and Quest for Knowledge and Excellence in all things. So mote it be.

Here is a brief account of the life of a truly peerless man,