Rovers

The Greenwood Rovers were formally established as a social athletic club in 1996, though many members have been friends since early childhood. The Rovers are made up of graduates of Brother Rice, Mount Carmel, St. Rita, Marist, and Morgan Park High Schools. Kevin was one of the founding members, and was extremely proud to be a Rover. During the late 90’s, the Rovers organized many memorable trips to college campuses, concerts and cottages. There are numerous Rover traditions that are continued to this day.

“Kevin was my best friend and pseudo big brother...We went to grammar school, high school, and some even think we went to college together. Two houses separated us growing up. One thing I noticed is that he loved to try to keep the spirit of others alive who have passed away, including my parents. He loved saying, “Billy this is a car!” and “What are you Spike Lee?”, which were two quotes from my dad which Kev knew would jump start a long story behind these short quotes. Let us keep telling stories about Kev Dennis and keep a smile on our face.”

-Billy Stack
Rover

"Kevin was my only brother, but he was a brother to many of the Rovers. As the younger brother, I learned a lot from my older brother Kev, as did many of the Rovers. Kev taught me how to ride a bike, how to shave, how to wear a tie, how to use tools, how to fish, how to grill, and most importantly how to laugh. I miss my brother everyday, but know that if I keep sharing all the things he taught me with others, I will be able to keep his spirit alive for a long time. I look forward to sharing stories about Kev and teaching his kids, Jack and Quinn, all the things he taught me. I hope I can be as great of a “big brother” figure to his boys as he was for me."

-Mike Dennis
Kev’s Brother/Honorary Rover

I believe the greatest reward of being a Greenwood Rover is that you always have a group of friends that will be there whenever you need them. Kevin John Dennis was the perfect example of this. If you needed a hand with a project or directions to a location or just someone to give you some good advice, Kevin was the guy you would call. But Kev's assistance never came without one of his famous quotes like, "Here's what you gotta do" or "Why didn't you call me first?" or "I know a better way". And 99% of the time Kevin John Dennis was absolutely right. -Mike Roman
Rover

Summer of 96 we spent a lot of time in my mom's backyard on Millard. We all had terrible summer jobs. Everyday after work we would gather there for some conversation, and a game of ring toss. We would drink warm beer out of solo cups to keep my mom from getting wise. One day Kev comes in the yard and hands me a piece of paper with song lyrics. The top says "The Greenwood Rover." Kev loved the song "The Irish Rover." It's about a group of wild Irishmen who set sail on an ill fated adventure. Kev changed the words in the song and made it about our friends. That’s where the name "Rovers" comes from.
It’s perfect in so many ways that Kev named the Rovers. Just like the Rovers in the song, Kevin John loved a good adventure. Kev taught me how to enjoy an adventure, and we had some good ones. From an ill fated midnight trip to Vermont, to negotiating with hippies in a corn field in Deer Creek Indiana, it was always interesting. I miss Kev every day.
-Tools
Rover

Kev was passionate about a lot of things, but specifically passionate about things that he could see his friends and family take pleasure in: cooking, fishing, building, brewing, and get-togethers. Just as an example, whenever he would cook, be it hot dogs in a portable hot dog stand, or marinated steaks he specially selected to grill on the Rainy Lake houseboat, he would always watch people's reactions. If someone's reaction to his cooking was anything less than ecstatic - he would seize the food and fix it; back on the grill, etc., until the desired result was achieved. He would say: "No, man, it's ok - I want you to love it, it will only take a minute more." He took such great pains to make sure everyone around him was having fun, and happy - a rare kind of empathy. He would never turn down a request for help from a friend - be it lugging an 800 lb safe down stairs into a basement, or coming over late at night to help fix a plumbing error and prevent Lake Basement. Kev built an octagon for a poker table out of hardwood, and would lug it to each rotating Rover poker night. When we asked about finishing the top with felt or sealant, he said: "Nope. Every beer ring tells a story." I realized only after Kev passed that his excitement about cooking, about fishing, about building, and about friendship had greatly influenced my interest in all of those things, as well as the interest of many of his friends and family. Rarely does someone have that profound, lasting impact on lives - the loss of his presence is felt daily.

-Ronne Malham Rover

Kevin John Dennis was a man with many talents. One of his favorite things to do was cook, and he was damn good at it! He perfected his culinary skills while working the grill at Pop’s restaurant during his high school and college years. It was always great to stop by Pop’s when Kevin John was working because he would usually tell me a funny story that made me laugh, and because he would make me an Italian Beef sandwich the size of an NFL football (no joke)! Often times, he would also throw in a “Kevin John Special,” which consisted of an unusual combination of foods that he knew I would enjoy, such as a “BBQ Steak Sandwich,” or his famous “Bacon & Grilled Onion Sandwich.” Kevin John created different specialty sandwiches for each of the Rovers who visited him at Pop’s. That was Kevin John’s way… he always did the small things that he knew would make us happy. Kevin John also always went out of his way to help his friends when things got tough. After Billy Stack’s parents passed away, many times after his shift ended at Pop’s, Kevin John would walk over to Billy’s house and place a bag of Pop’s food in the doorstep for Billy and his sisters. He wanted to help them out in any way he could during their difficult time. Kevin John had a heart of gold, and he will be an inspiration to all of us Rovers for the rest of our lives.
DJ Panfil -Rover