Dennis Carl “Denny” Berglund
GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo. - Dennis Carl “Denny” Berglund, 83, Greenwood Village, Colo., lost his fight with cancer July 31, 2020, at Porter Hospice-Centennial.
Funeral services were Aug. 18 at Bethany Lutheran Church, Cherry Hills Village, Colo., with Pastor Gary Sandberg officiating. Because of COVID restrictions, funeral services were limited to immediate family, but a live webcast (Bethanylive.org) of the service will be available for viewing. The service will also be archived so if people are unable to view the service as it takes place, they can do so any time afterward.
A private military burial at Fort Logan National Cemetery will follow the service.
Dennis Carl Berglund, “Denny” to many, was born in Hartington May 21, 1937, to Axel Bernhardt and Villena Ann (Wormke) Berglund. The ninth of 11 children, Dennis and his five older brothers were known for their athletic abilities at Hartington High School. Enlisting in the Army in 1955, after high school, Dennis was stationed in Gelnhausen, Germany, and served in the Third Armored Division, 65th Field Artillery, during the 1956 Hungarian Uprising.
Dennis gave his family a reason to gather for a family reunion when he married Shirley Jane Hudson of Cresco, Iowa, Feb. 3, 1962, at the Redeemer Lutheran Church, Washburn, Iowa, where his brother and family were members. The couple are parents to two sons, Bret Lee Berglund and Brad Alan Berglund. The couple’s first home was in Iowa Falls, Iowa, where Dennis was employed by Iowa Finance. Dennis’ corporate career and his family’s adventurous journey were about to begin when Iowa Finance became part of Avco Financial Services. Corporate transfers, promotions, and job opportunities in six different companies (Iowa Finance, Avco Financial Services, Bay View Federal Saving and Loan Association, Imperial Thrift and Loan Association, Century Acceptance Corporation, and Mountain Parks Financial Services) took the family to seven states (Iowa, Indiana, Missouri, California, Tennessee, Massachusetts, and Colorado), 16 cities, and 19 different homes. Every city was unique, and Dennis personally helped the family assimilate and explore the new communities. A PRNewswire Newsfax best describes Dennis’ career journey:
DENVER, Colo., February 23, 1996: “Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dennis M. Mathesen today announced the formation of Mountain Parks Financial Services, Inc. … and the hiring of Dennis C. Berglund to head up the business. With more than 30 years of consumer finance experience, Berglund joined Mountain Park’s Financial Services as President to drive the establishment and growth of the business. Most recently he was with Century Acceptance Corporation (Kansas City, MO) where he served as President and CEO since 1993. Prior to that position he served as Chief Financial Officer and an Executive Vice President of Imperial Thrift and Loan Association (Burbank, CA).”
Known for his smile and optimism, Dennis was successful in business and gave back to his community. Optimist International suited Dennis, and in Huntington, Indiana he received great acclaim when his wife organized and directed the Miss Huntington pageant. Always a member of the American Financial Services Association, Dennis served on the association’s Board of Directors when he was President and CEO of Century Acceptance Corporation in Kansas City, Mo.
As an athlete, Dennis loved and excelled in sports in high school and throughout life. Joining adult teams for basketball, softball, golf, bowling, and tennis was not unusual for him. Dennis was on three first-place bowling teams before he stopped bowling for health reasons. Dancing was special to the couple, and his family excelled at waterskiing, often owning a boat. In addition, Dennis attended all of his two sons’ and his two grandsons’ athletic games and meets from their youth teams (often coaching) throughout their high school and college years. By far, his greatest competition was playing cards with his five older brothers. Denny will be missed by everyone.
Surviving Dennis Berglund are his wife of 58 years, Shirley Berglund, Greenwood Village, Colo.; sons, Bret (Pam) Berglund, Las Vegas, Nev., and Brad Berglund, Colo.; and two grandsons, Brock Berglund and Brant Berglund, both of San Francisco, Calif.; three surviving siblings from his family of 11 are, Roland “Rollie” (Leah - deceased) Berglund, Kearney; Douglas (Pat Dunning) Berglund, Raleigh, N.C.; and Lee Berglund of Mt. Shasta, Calif.; sister in-laws, Patricia (Don - deceased) Berglund, Arvada, Colo., and Janet (Bill - deceased) Berglund, Orlando, Fla.; and brother-in-law, Kenneth (Lois – deceased) Lapp, Byron , Ill.; and relatives in Sweden, nieces and nephews who were very special to him, and his cousin, Mildred Swanson, New Richmond, Wis.
Preceding Dennis in death were his parents; his father in-law and mother in-law, Horace Leeman and Mary Jane Hudson; three brothers, Donald (Patricia) Berglund, Kenneth (Ruth - deceased) Berglund, and Bill Dale (Janet) Berglund; four sisters, Ellen (Raymond - deceased) Kleinschmit, LaVern (Harvey – deceased) Lentz, Delores (Paul – deceased) Gordish, and Lois (Kenneth) Lapp.