Brenda Joy Denney 1939-2013

DENNEY, KOSBERG, KAPLAN

Posted By: Connie Swearingen-Volunteer (email)
Date: 2/4/2013 at 12:03:54

Sioux City Journal
9 January 2013

SIOUX CITY | Brenda Joy Denney, 73, of St. Augustine, Fla., a Sioux City native, died Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012, at Flagler Hospital in St. Augustine of natural causes.

There will be a memorial service at a later date.

Brenda was born and raised in Sioux City, Iowa, and was a resident of St. Augustine since retiring as the executive director of Three Rivers Independent Living Center. She was a member and past president of the St. Augustine AARP and served as a volunteer with Haven Hospice. St. Johns Family Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

She was born in 1939 to Dave and Ruth (Kosberg) Kaplan. She graduated from Central High School in 1957 and Briar Cliff College in 1989. She married Henry Denney in 1980 and was a member of Shaare Zion Synagogue and later, Temple Beth Shalom.

Brenda was nominated for a Women of Excellence Award in 2000 for her many contributions to Sioux City: coordinator for caregiver support for the Alzheimers Association; Neighborhood Network newsletter editor; board member for the State Independent Living Council, Woodbury County Community Action, Area 12 Area Education Association Transition Advisory Board, ARC of Woodbury County, Homeless Task Force, Diversity Coalition Committee for the Handicapped. Brenda's passion for the rights of people with disabilities led her to be first director of Three Rivers, until her retirement took her to her dream of living by the ocean in Florida, far from Iowa winters, near her son Scott and his family.

She is survived by her children, Shelley Rivers of Sioux City, Deborah Thompson and her husband Doug Reniere of Vienna, Va., Scott Kaplan and his wife Margaret of Palm Coast, Fla., and Dan Sterling and his wife Dana of Tenafly, N.J. She also had eight grandchildren, Michael Woodman, Delores Kaplan, David Sterling, William Rivers, Yael Rivers, Meira Rivers, Ben Sterling and Liel Sterling. She is also survived by her "adopted daughter," Vicky Whitmore.

She was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Martin; and loving husband; Henry.

Our gratitude goes to the Home Health Care and Hospice workers who supported her and her family through her illness until the end, and especially her daughter-in-law Margaret, who has been there attending to every detail.