Dennis Deblasis

Dennis R. DeBlasis, 81, died on February 4, 2025, at St. Mary's Hospital in Huntington, WV, after a long illness. Dennis was born on May 17, 1943, in Wheeling, WV. He grew up in Bellaire, OH, with his father Richard M. DeBlasis (deceased in 1965), who owned a small grocery store called Sanitary Market, on Belmont Street and W. 26th Street; his mother Dianne Sitrin DeBlasis (deceased in 1987), and his three younger brothers Butch, Rick, and David. While a student at Bellaire High School, Dennis played full back for the Big Reds football team until his graduation in 1961. He was inducted into the Bellaire High School's Athletes Hall of Fame/Wall of Fame in 1989. Throughout his life, Dennis valued his family and the many dear friends he made growing up in Bellaire.

Dennis played linebacker and right guard for Indiana University's football team under the legendary coach Phil Dickens. Dennis graduated from IU with a bachelor's degree in 1965. Two of Dennis's greatest joys in his life was playing football and his long friendships with his fellow "Dicken's Boys" and his Hoosier classmates.

Dennis spent 50 years in the restaurant industry, working a variety of positions in different types of restaurants on the East Coast from the mid-1960s until his semi-retirement in 2017. During his long career, he managed the Village Inn Pizza Parlor in Laurel, MD, and Bloomington Indiana; and Valle's Steakhouse in Springfield, VA., and Tampa, FL. During the 1980s, he served as the operations supervisor for Spillane's Lums restaurants in Vermont and upstate NY. Among other restaurant ventures, Dennis co-owned Spud World in Tampa and Atlanta, Stone Turtle in Tampa, and Sirloin Joe's in New Hampshire. Dennis truly enjoyed food and loved working in the restaurant business. He was full of ideas for new restaurants and food-related products and dreamt of owning a successful restaurant franchise.

Dennis was preceded in death by his wife of 33 years Virginia ("Ginny") A. Petersen DeBlasis (2005), and his younger brothers Butch (2006) and Rick (2022) of Port Richey, FL. Dennis is survived by his youngest brother David DeBlasis of Bethany Beach, DE; his daughter Dr. Shelley DeBlasis of Arnold, MD; his stepsons Larry Govedich of Spring Hill, FL, and his children Tadd and Carey; and Steven Govedich and his daughters Megan and Madison; and Dennis's nephew Garry and niece Heather. Dennis's family will miss his positive, can-do-anything attitude and his dream-big, adventurous spirit.

Reger Funeral Home & Cremation Services in Huntington, WV, is handling Dennis's cremation. Friends and family are invited to attend Dennis's interment ceremony on the weekend of May 17, 2025, when Dennis's life will be celebrated and his ashes buried with his beloved wife, Ginny, at Grace Memorial Gardens Cemetery at 16931 U.S. Highway 19 North in Hudson, FL. In lieu of flowers, friends and family can make a donation in Dennis's memory to Indiana University's Football Program Fund in support of the Bloomington campus Department of Athletics Football Program or contribute to the family's "Honoring Dennis: Assistance for His End-of-Life Expenses" GoFundMe to the family help pay for Dennis's unexpected end-of-life costs.

Dennis loved his friends, family, football, and food-not always in that exact order! His friends from Bellaire and his football playing days were dear to his heart and meant the world to him. Dennis's family want to express a deeply heartfelt thank you to Mr. Andy Nameth, of Huntington, WV, for all his patience, generosity, love, and care for Dennis at the end of his life. We can never thank you enough for all you have done for Dennis and for us. Thank you, Mr. Nameth, for being a wonderful friend and person.