Dennis George Fossey

Dennis was born September 30, 1948, in Gary, Indiana and passed away peacefully at home due to leukemia on May 10, 2026, at the age of 77. He is survived by his loving wife, Louise (Vassallo) Fossey, who he met in 1966 while registering for classes at IUN. The running joke was that if “Lu” had not graduated from high school one year early, they might not have met. Of course, they were meant to be together. Dennis and Lu would have celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary on August 24th of this year. He is also survived by a devoted daughter, Denise Fossey-Oliver (Jim) of Valparaiso, Indiana and a brother, Gary Fossey (Lee) of Acworth, Georgia. Proceeding him in death are his parents, George Phillip Fossey and Dona Jean Fossey. He was a 1966 graduate of Lew Wallace High School and attended Indiana University Northwest for one year and earned an electrical engineering associates degree from Purdue University Calumet. Dennis had many jobs throughout his lifetime. He worked in the Industrial Engineering department at Gary Works, an officer at the Hobart Police Department, a beer deliveryman and finally, an ammunition reloading business, Precision Cartridge, Inc. which he owned for 40 years. As part of his business, he travelled to many interesting places, making many new friends along the way. He went to Nurnberg, Germany to attend the European IWA trade show and the Last Vegas shot shows every year. Dennis was a benefactor member of the NRA. He loved to travel! He and Lu would go to the Octoberfest in Munich, Germany often and visited Berlin both East and West. Because of this, he accumulated a large collection of German artifacts of which he was very proud. They also went to Denmark, Spain, Paris, France, Italy, Belgium, England, Czechoslovakia, and walking in the sand along the Mediterranean Sea. Those that knew Dennis best can tell you that to HIM, the best parts of the trip were the good food and the great BEER. The worst part about the trips was leaving his beloved Airedale dogs behind. He had rescued Airedales since 1998 and many times, one or the other rode with him while delivering ammunition. Of course, he gave them names such as Bullet, Reload, and Magnum. He and Lu went to many 60’s and 70’s concerts in the area and Las Vegas. For the past 8 years, Dennis relaxed and enjoyed a great time in his sky box at the RailCats Stadium in Gary. His friends were always welcome to come and share the food, drinks, and good times with him. Dennis was like a brownie: somewhat crusty on the edges but warm and soft on the inside. Dennis made many friends through the years, and they offered their support and kindness during his last days. But there was one that he held closest to his heart and that was Larry Winters who remained a loyal friend ever since they worked together on the Hobart Police Department in the 70’s. To honor his wishes, there will not be a visitation or funeral service. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. Burns Funeral Home & Crematory entrusted with arrangements. Please visit Dennis’ online guestbook and obituary at www.BurnsFuneral.com

Dennis George Fossey

September 30, 1948 - May 10, 2026