Dennis Fleming 1942-2025

For 44 years, Denny was the loving husband of Carole Fleming Fleming, who passed in August.

He was born to Francis and Doris Button Fleming of Youngstown, where he grew up.

Denny had a tight-knit group of friends in Youngstown that he stayed in touch with throughout his life. As part of this group, he developed a love of working on cars, which extended to motorcycles as an adult. His love of understanding what makes things “hum” led him to become a self-taught engineer and technical expert who moved from Ohio to Massachusetts to become involved in the burgeoning tech industry. He worked at Honeywell in the ’60s and Sweetheart Plastics in the ’70s. He taught himself and became an expert in early electronic telephone operating systems, working as a self-employed technician until he retired.

During his retirement, Denny achieved a dream of owning a home in Florida, which he adored. He enjoyed working on home repair / improvement projects on both his homes in Massachusetts and Florida, many of which got very close to completion (to his thinking, no project was ever truly finished). Denny loved animals, welcoming into his home many stray cats and dogs through the years. He treasured his annual trips with family and friends to Martha’s Vineyard, to Hog Island, Rhode Island, to visit his cousin Davey Button, and to New Smyrna Beach, Florida, to visit his parents.

Denny was a loving husband and proud father who greatly loved his children and delighted in all their accomplishments. He was set in his ways, and at the same time, was very accommodating of others; he accepted people for who they were. He was an honest man you could always count on for support. Denny was highly regarded as a good friend, sound giver of advice, deep fount of knowledge and uncanny human road atlas — providing directions from / to anyplace in the Continental U.S. prior to smartphones.

Dennis is survived by his five children from his first marriage to Nancy Adams Fleming, Susan Fleming and her spouse, Ron Crawford of Allenstown, New Hampshire; Pamela Valente and her spouse, Paul of Brookline, New Hampshire; Rebecca Torpey and her spouse, Mark of Pepperell; John Fleming and his spouse, Barbara of Pepperell; and James Fleming and his spouse, Erica Metzger of Arlington. He is also survived by his five stepchildren, Debra Artrip and her spouse, Dennis of West Virginia; Brian Hall of Westford; Cynthia Beaulieu and her spouse, Ray of Dracut; Jennifer Cooper and her spouse, Ronald of Hudson, New Hampshire; and Scott Hall and his spouse, Derick of New York; 18 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

In addition to his wife, Carole, Dennis was predeceased by his parents and his granddaughter, Aline Dodge (and too numerous to name adopted cats, dogs, a squirrel and a turkey).

A celebration of Denny and Carole’s lives will be held in the spring.

Condolences may be expressed at bostoncremation.org/obituary/dennis-denny-fleming/.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Dennis Fleming to The Lowell Humane Society (lowellhumanesociety.org – 951 Broadway St., Lowell, MA 01854) or to the Neely House (camneely

foundation.org – 170 Milk St., Boston, MA 02109).

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