Ron Denney ’08 had a love for radio, his community, his family and Bluffton University. Denney, who studied communication and was heavily involved with the campus radio station, passed away unexpectedly Feb. 4, 2019, and though it has been more than 11 years since he was a student on campus, the way he lived life and valued everything around him can serve an inspiration to current Bluffton students.
“Ron was full of life, loved to laugh and have a good time,” said Maggie Bowsher, also a former Bluffton student and one of Denney’s friends on campus. “He made it a point to reach out and be my friend, and that meant so much to me as a freshmen adjusting to college and being far away from home. He was such a good friend. If you needed to chat, Ron was there for you.”
Chad Bowsher, Maggie Bowsher’s husband who met through Denney, shared similar feelings as his wife.
“If he was your friend he would do anything he could to help support whatever activity you did on campus,” Chad Bowsher said. “I organized a Vietnam War movie festival for History Club, and not only did he come (he hated bloody gory movies), but he also got the word out through the radio station.”
Mitch Tomlinson, Denney’s best friend and roommate, shared how this overwhelming positivity radiated though Denney.
“He was very bubbly and always said ‘Hi’ to everyone, whether he knew them or not,” said Tomlinson. “Ron valued not only his life but the lives of all of his friends and family and lived every day to it’s fullest. Ron was a wonderful person. I don’t think I ever saw him upset, even when he was stressed with work.”
It wasn’t just Denney’s closest friends who saw this side of him. Kathy Dickson, who also served in Student Life at the same time as Denney, recalled how Denney flourished on campus.
“Ron was a presence on campus,” said Dickson. “He and his friends were typically up to something and laughing, all while being very engaged in campus and community. I remember him in Euchre tournaments at our LDP retreats and taking that quite seriously, among other things.”
What many didn’t know about Denney was the heart condition he was living with. Denney had a total of three open-heart surgeries, but Tomlinson shared that this didn’t stop Denney from living. He recalled the shenanigans they had at minor league baseball games, while Maggie Bowsher remembered Denney’s constant willingness to try new things and take on a new adventure.
Here on Bluffton’s campus, Denney was active within the radio station serving as the station’s manager, as an Evangelist DJ and as a commentator for most of the athletic events. Along with his work with the radio station, Denney also served as an RA for Bren-Dell Hall, helped with the Riley Creek Festival and was deeply involved in the history club.
“He loved working at the radio station,” said Maggie Bowsher. “He was a communication major who loved sports and that love translated when he broadcasted Bluffton athletic games. I remember attending a Bluffton baseball game that spring right after we became friends and hearing Ron announce the game, you could just hear his love and passion of the game through his voice.”
Though Denney majored in communication, he came to Bluffton to study history. When he first came to campus on a visit, it was a conversation with history professor Dr. Perry Bush that made up his decision to attend Bluffton. While Denney didn’t finish a history degree, he was still able to pursue his love of history.
“I remember the feeling of bright relief that spread over this face when I assured him that I could understand the attractiveness of that professional calling, that it didn’t change my regard for him in the least, and that he could still explore his passion for history here outside the major,” said Bush. “And he did.”
Bush recalled Denney as an effervescent, humorous and caring presence in the upper-level history courses he took and in the history-related activities in which he was central.
Though Denney graduated in 2008, he had a habit of trying to still make it back to Bluffton every year for the Homecoming football game and May Day weekend, his favorite event. With the sudden passing of Denney, many of his classmates are looking to hold a special celebration to honor him here on campus during this year’s May Day weekend.
