Dennis Darreld Hite, 67, of Gilroy, CA, passed away on January 2, 2017, at Kaiser Santa Teresa Hospital in San Jose, CA.

Dennis was born in San Francisco, CA, on August 8, 1949, son of the late Darreld and Nadine (Crumm) Hite. He is survived by his wife, Barbara Olson, his children, Valerie (Alan) Arbizu and Christopher Hite, and his grandson, Maxwell Arbizu. He is also survived by his brothers, Roger Hite and Larry Hite, their spouses, and numerous nieces and nephews. Dennis is preceded in death by his sister, Bonnie.

Dennis graduated from Fremont High School in Sunnyvale, CA, in 1967, and completed his Bachelor of Science degree at Cal State University Hayward in 1971. For over 20 years, Dennis worked and owned a business in the dental field, making crowns and bridges; later in life, he became an elementary school teacher in Gilroy. He retired from teaching in 2008 after thirteen years in the classroom.

Aside from his careers in education and dentistry, Dennis was a family man who enjoyed spending time and traveling with his children and his wife. Dennis married his high school sweetheart, Barbara, on September 18, 1971; they were married for 45 years.

A baseball lover to the core, Dennis coached his son's Little League teams until Chris aged out of the program, and he was a stroke and turn official when both Valerie and Chris were active in swimming for the Gilroy Gators Swim Club. A Boy Scout who spent his summers working at Camp Oljato on Huntington Lake, Dennis enjoyed spending time camping and on road trips with his wife and children; the family has a number of memories from vacations spent in national parks, with a particular affinity for Yosemite. As their children grew older, Dennis and Barbara began to travel more together to far-flung locales like Australia and Maui; and they spent a good deal of time with their grandson, Maxwell, at favorite spots such as Chuck E. Cheese's. Dennis will be remembered by his family and friends for his quick wit and contagious laughter.

A Memorial Service will be held Saturday, January 7, 2017, 11:00 AM at Habing Family Funeral Home, 129 4th Street, Gilroy,CA. Family and Friends are welcome to a gathering with refreshments after the Memorial Service.