Funeral services for Dan Denton, 57, of Clifton, held Saturday, October 22, 2011, in the gymnasium at Central High School in rural Clifton. Burial will in Clifton Cemetery.

Mr. Denton, longtime coach, educator and football official in the Kankakee area, died suddenly on Monday afternoon, October 17, 2011, following a short illness.

Mr. Denton was born at Paducah, Ky., on July 19, 1954, the son of Herschel Eugene and Sarah Elizabeth Clere Denton. He married the former Christine Ann Miller in Assumption on November 14, 1981, and she survives.

Also surviving are two daughters, Nicole Danielle and husband Kyle King, of Ashkum, and Samantha Elizabeth Denton and companion Devin Johnson, of St. Charles, Mo.; two grandchildren, Ava Ann Johnson and Maliyah Elizabeth Johnson; his mother, Sarah Denton, of Olney; a sister, Jan Holtz, and a brother, David Robert (Debra) Denton also of Olney; and sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Linda (Danny) Himes, of Assumption, Greg Miller, of Pfafftown, NC.,. Doug Miller, of Winston-Salem, N.C., and David (Ashley) Kellenberger, of Lakewood, Colo.

Mr. Denton belonged to Kankakee First Church of the Nazarene, Kankakee Elks Club and I.H.S.A. Dan was a graduate of East Richland High School in Olney in 1972, where he excelled in multiple sports. He graduated from Olney Central College in 1974. While there, he played basketball and baseball. He then went on to Greenville College and played basketball, graduating in 1976. He led Greenville College in rebounding from 1974-1976. He coached at Olney Central College while he attended school there. His first full-time coaching position was at Assumption High School from 1979-1982. From Assumption he went on to teach and coach at  Loda from 1982-1985, then on to St. Elmo from 1985-1995 and back to Olney from 1995-1998. He went to Central High School in 1998 and coached basketball and girls softball. He was most recently teaching golf at Kankakee Community College and had also coached girls basketball there.

He was an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan and enjoyed playing golf and tennis. He was learning to play the guitar. He was a football official and had his own officiating crew, of which he was very proud. In 2009, Dan was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. One of Dan’s crowning achievements was during his tenure at St. Elmo, when he took his team to the IHSA Class 1A basketball finals, where they finished fourth. In all, Mr. Denton had coached and taught for more than 32 years.

Published in Olney Daily Mail (IL)