Charles E. "Gene" Dehnert

Charles E. “Gene” Dehnert, 79, of Mishawaka, Indiana, passed away Thursday, March 5, 2020 at Memorial Hospital.  Gene was born on July 26, 1940 in Evanston, Illinois to the late Ernst F. and Louise (Bettersworth) Dehnert.

Gene graduated high school from Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Illinois.  He then went to Notre Dame University for one year before being appointed to the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland by Senator Dirksen of Illinois.  He graduated from the Naval Academy with a Bachelor degree in Science.  He then went to earn a Master Degree in Physics from the Naval Academy Post Graduate School.  Later he received a Master of Business Administration degree while in Jacksonville, Florida.  Gene retired from the Navy after serving honorably for twenty years.  After retiring, he worked as a commercial pilot with American Airlines for seventeen years and then for Net Jets Aviation.   

On July 16, 1994 in Mishawaka, Gene married Susan Marie (Pittman) Dehnert, who survives.  Along with Susan, he is survived by two stepdaughters, Stephanie Lisek of Mishawaka and Angela (Reginald) Wensel of Goshen, Indiana; two sons, James (Christina) Dehnert of Rohnert Park, California and Charles (Tammy) Dehnert Jr. of Dublin, California; ten grandchildren, Payton Dehnert of Dublin, Samantha Wensel of Goshen, David Dehnert of Rohnert Park, James Dehnert of Rohnert Park, Maxwell Dehnert of Dublin, Preston Lisek of Mishawaka, Blake Lisek of Mishawaka, Lucas Wensel of Goshen, Elijah Dehnert of Rohnert Park and Asa Dehnert of Rohnert Park; two sisters, Linda (Don) Dixon of Evanston, Illinois and Claudia (Richard) Prince of Denver, North Carolina and one brother, Ernst Frederick (Mary) Dehnert, Jr. of Charlotte, North Carolina.

Memorial Services for Gene will be held at 6:00 pm, Monday, March 16, 2020 at Palmer Funeral Home – River Park Chapel, 2528 Mishawaka Ave., South Bend, IN 46615.  Friends may visit with the family from 4:00 – 6:00 pm prior to the service at the funeral home.

Donations may be made to Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, 610 N. Michigan St., South Bend, IN 46601 or Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, Attn: Development, 875 N. Randolph St. Ste. 225, Arlington, VA 22203. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.palmerfuneralhomes.com

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