Memorial service for Arthur Baker Denman, 89, of Nacogdoches will be held at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17, 2015, at Laird Funeral Home in Nacogdoches. Mr. Denman passed away peacefully on Thursday, March 5, 2015, after a brief illness. Serving as honorary pallbearers will be F.E. Abernethy, Gregg Holmes, Ken Jones, Larry Allen, Clarence "Bo" McMichael, James Dorsett and David King. He was born to the late C.C. "Cub" and Irmgard Bielefeld Denman on Jan. 24, 1926, in Nacogdoches, Texas. He attended Nacogdoches public schools, graduating from Nacogdoches High School in 1943, where he lettered in football. He joined the Navy immediately after graduation. Upon completing officer training school at Southwestern Louisiana Institute, he was commissioned as an ensign and assigned to a patrol craft in the Pacific during World War II. At the conclusion of his military service in 1946, he entered SFA, graduating in 1948 with a Bachelor of Science in agriculture with a minor in mathematics. In 1951, he received a Master of Education from SFA. He was a member of the Lettermen's Association and the Sawyers. Mr. Denman married the love of his life, Frankie Jean Toney, on June 11, 1949, and she survives him. After teaching in small school districts in East Texas and working for Texaco Oil Company, Mr. Denman returned to Nacogdoches in 1957, where he began teaching at Nacogdoches High School. He enjoyed a long and satisfying career in the Nacogdoches public schools as a teacher, assistant principal and principal. He retired in 1980 but continued to display his genuine love for students and the classroom by teaching math at SFA and tutoring high school students. In addition to his family and teaching, Mr. Denman's other great love was farming and ranching. He continued to work on his Nacogdoches County farm every day, rain or shine, right up until the last months of his life. Mr. Denman was preceded in death by his parents; by three brothers, C.C. Denman Jr., Russell Denman and Jerry Denman; and one sister-in-law, Betty Denman. In addition to his wife, survivors include children, Melanie Denman Cervenka and husband, Mark, of Danville, Calif., and John Baker Denman of Nacogdoches; grandchildren, Eric Fuller and wife, Jessica, of Austin, Elizabeth King and fiance, Scott O'Leary, of Delhi, Calif., and Luke Denman of Franklin, Tenn.; great-grandchildren, Isaac Fuller and Zoe Fuller of Austin; brother, James Denman and wife, Carolyn, of Lufkin; and sisters-in-law, Joy Denman of Washington D.C., and Deborah Denman of Katy; and a host of nieces and nephews. He also cherished the brief time he spent with Mitch, Meadow and Aidan-Drake.
Laird Funeral Home.
Published in The Daily Sentinel on Mar. 12, 2015