Stephen Michael Denty

Stephen Edward Denty, was born August 1, 1981, in Ogden, Utah. He died unexpectedly at the age of 40 in Deer Lodge, MT, on Friday, February 25, 2022.

Steve was a happy baby with an easy-going demeanor. In his youth, he loved complex puzzles and delighted in finding old machines that he could dismantle to figure out how they worked. He delivered papers and mowed lawns so he could build his own forge.

Steve was raised Catholic, and he served many years as an altar boy. He was also a volunteer at Grant-Kohrs Ranch. His Eagle Scout project was making picnic tables for the ranch. Steve loved tools and being outdoors. He enjoyed camping, backpacking, snow skiing, scuba diving, and rappelling.

In 4-H he earned purple ribbons for his demonstrations in soldering, building bat houses, vermiculture, and blacksmithing.

At the age of eighteen, Steve was involved in a serious car accident which left him in a coma and fighting for his life. After his recovery, he served as a volunteer in the Catholic Church; first at the Marytown National Shrine for Maximillian Kolbe in Illinois, then with Father Benedict Groeschel and the Franciscan Friars in New York City, where he helped in missions for the inner city poor and the homeless.

After five years of big city life, the blue skies, fresh air, and open space in Montana lured Steve back home. The following year, while working construction, Steve fell 18 feet from a roof. He broke his back and shattered his heel. At this point Steve turned his attention to getting a college degree. He studied Sustainable Alternative Energies and Computer Science at the University of Montana. Even though he had dyslexia, he did well in college, but the recurring debilitating pain from his fall made it increasingly hard to focus and concentrate on his studies.

Prescription medications offered little relief from the chronic pain. Instead, these various medications led to depression, altered his easy going demeaner, and intensified the effects of his traumatic brain injury – all of which led to a gradual decay in his mental health.

Despite everything that he had suffered, Steve was still passionate about helping others. At the time of his death, he had plans to build shelters for homeless vets. Steve had a trusting, forgiving heart, and he was always willing to see the good in people, even those who took advantage of his generous nature. During his journey, Steve touched the lives and hearts of many people and he will be dearly missed.

Stephen is survived by his daughter, Maddison; his mother, Deborah (Debbie) Burns-Jackson; father, Tim Denty; brothers: Dominic (wife: Becky), Evan, Timothy (wife: Sara); sister, Megan (husband: Sean); half-brothers: Matthew and Ian; and many nephews, nieces, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Steve is preceded in death by his grandparents: Beatrice Marshall, Wallace Bruce Burns, Dale Jackson, Clara (Boehm) Denty, William Denty; and preborn brothers: John and Joseph.

A memorial fund has been opened at Pioneer Federal Savings and Loan, 401 Milwaukee, in Deer Lodge, to help his mom pay for funeral expenses.