DENNIS TRICE

BORN MAY 10,1943 WITH HIS TWIN BROTHER ALLAN IN SEBRING, FLORIDA

DECEASED MARCH 29, 2020 IN MAGNOLIA, TEXAS

HE IS SURVIVED BY HIS SONS JOE AND KENT TRICE, AND HIS DAUGHTER LISA BUDRO AND GRANDCHILDREN BRANDON, KAYLA, DIANNE, HANNAH, LEVI.

AS A SMALL CHILD, DENNIS AND HIS FAMILY MOVED TO GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA UNTIL THE AGE OF 10, THEN MOVED TO KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI UNTIL SETTLING IN THE NORTH HOUSTON, TEXAS AREA IN THE MID 1970'S.

DENNIS PURSUED A LIFE LONG CAREER AS AN AUTO AND TRUCK MECHANIC.  HE STARTED HIS CAREER AT KENWORTH-DART IN 1963, BUILDING LARGE TRUCKS.  THEN IN 1971, STARTED WORKING ON AIRCRAFT FUELING TRUCKS AND EQUIPMENT FOR ALLIED AVIATION.

IN 1977, DENNIS WENT TO WORK FOR FED-EX WORKING ON AIRCRAFT GROUND SUPPORT EQUIPMENT AND DELIVERY TRUCKS.  HE WAS WELL KNOWN IN EVERY FED-EX STATION FROM HOBBY AIRPORT TO CONROE BECAUSE DENNIS HAD WORKED IN ALL OF THEM OVER HIS 21 YEARS THERE.

AFTER TAKING A COUPLE OF YEARS OFF TO ENJOY HIS RETIREMENT, HE DECIDED TO GO TO WORK FOR SPRING INDEPENDENT SCHOOLDISTRICT AS THEIR PAINT AND BODY MAN IN 2001, THEN FULLY RETIRED IN 2003.

DENNIS ALWAYS TOOK HIS WORK VERY SERIOUS AND EXPECTED THE SAME OUT OF EVERYONE ELSE.  AS MUCH AS DENNIS WAS KNOWN FOR HIS HARD WORK, HE WAS MORE KNOWN FOR HIS SENSE OF HUMOR.

WHEN HE MOVED TO HOUSTON WORKING FOR ALLIED AVIATION, HE WOULD WORK ON TRUCKS AND EQUIPMENT THAT OTHERS DIDN'T WANT TO WORK ON AND HAD SAT OUT OF SERVICE FOR A LONG TIME.  AFTER HE WOULD GET THEM FIXED AND BACK IN-SERVICE, HE WOULD JOKINGLY TELL THE OTHER MECHANICS THAT THEY COULD JUST CALL HIM "HERO", WHICH IN TURN EARNED HIM THE NAME "ZERO".  DENNIS WAS A GOOD SPORT AND HAD PERSONALIZED LICENSE PLATES MADE FOR HIS CAR THAT HAD THE NAME "ZERO" PRINTED ON THEM.

YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO KNOW DENNIS VERY LONG TO KNOW WHETHER HE LIKED YOU OR NOT BECAUSE IF HE DID, HE WOULD USUALLY THINK OF SOMETHING TO TORMENT YOU WITH TO GET A RISE OUT OF YOU.  HE LOVED TO PROD AND KEEP ON-GOING JABS.  FOR YEARS, HE WOULD START OR END MOST CONVERSATIONS WITH HIS DAUGHTER-IN-LAW, MISSY, BY ASKING HER IF SHE HAD TAKEN HER SMART PILLS TODAY, IF SHE ANSWERED "YES", HE WOULD REPLY THAT SHE NEEDED TO DOUBLE UP ON THEM BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T WORKING AND JUST LAUGH.

YOU ALWAYS KNEW HOW MUCH DENNIS LIKED OR LOVED YOU BY HOW MUCH HE TORMENTED YOU.  HE LOVED TO GREET YOU AS YOU APPROACHED HIM, BY SNIFFING AND LOOKING AROUND, THEN LOOKING AT THE BOTTOM OF HIS BOOT AND THEN ASKING, "WHAT IS THAT SMELL?" THEN WITH A SMIRK ON HIS FACE, LOOK AT YOU AND SAY, "OH, IT'S YOU!" AND LAUGH.  DENNIS WAS ALWAYS LIGHTHEARTED AND LOVED TO KID AROUND, WITH HIM, IT WAS ALL IN FUN.

DENNIS LOVED FAST CARS AND OLD TRUCKS.  HE LOVED WORKING ON RACE CARS, GOING TO THE TRACK AND WATCHING THEM ON TV.  BUT HE REALLY LIKED TALKING ABOUT THEM AND TALKING ABOUT THEM SOME MORE….

SOME OF HIS FAVORITE STORIES HE WOULD SHARE OVER AND OVER WAS ABOUT GOING TO THE DIRT TRACK WITH HIS FRIEND GARY, AND AN ORANGE NOVA THEY BUILT. YOU NEVER HAD TO WONDER WHAT WAS ON DENNIS' MIND BECAUSE HE WOULD FLAT-OUT TELL YOU.

DENNIS GREW UP POOR AND WORKED HARD AND ACCOMPLISHED MUCH.  DENNIS WAS A FUN LOVING, QUICK-WITTED MAN WHO WOULD GO OUT OF HIS WAY TO HELP YOU.  TO ALL OF HIS FRIENDS AND FAMILY, HE WAS GREATLY LOVED AND WILL BE GREATLY MISSED.