A few days before Thanksgiving weekend, we lost a colleague and a dear friend. Dennis Wynne passed away on November 22, 2015, and I want to take a moment to honor him properly.
Dennis joined Equinox in 1988 — back when only two people worked here: founders Byron Middendorf and Wayne Lowe. His background was in computer hardware service and repair, with programming as a hobby, but what he brought to Equinox was so much more than technical skill. He possessed incredible intellect, boundless curiosity, dogged determination, a great attitude, and a great wit. He became invaluable almost immediately.
I remember asking Dennis once to help with some sales support — tedious data evaluation and assessment work that wasn't really his job. He completed it all the same day, and when I thanked him, he said what he always said: "it all pays the same." That phrase perfectly captured who Dennis was — no ego, no agenda, just a focus on doing what was best for the company and the customer regardless of the task at hand.
That lack of ego set a standard for everyone who came after him. He shaped Equinox's culture in ways that are hard to quantify. Nearly every solution we have ever deployed includes code Dennis wrote, and he resolved countless technical problems during his 27-year tenure as Vice President of Information Technology.
Dennis was also a technology enthusiast and early adopter who loved sharing his recommendations — TiVo, XM Radio, GPS — he was always onto something new. He was an accomplished communicator who could mix slang and aphorisms with sophisticated vocabulary in the same breath, though he was also known for providing thorough rather than brief answers.
For 20 years, Dennis participated in our weekly and quarterly senior management meetings. His colleagues always noted his thoughtful engagement and his sensitivity toward employees who were struggling.
In his final years, despite the physical limitations of Multiple System Atrophy, Dennis maintained his good spirits and kept contributing. His last day in the office, he helped resolve a customer technical issue. He bore his illness with grace and dignity, remaining largely positive even as his condition deteriorated.
Dennis Lee Wynne Sr. (1958–2015) was a Nashville native who created the first BBS in Nashville — "The Troll's Cave PCBoard" — in 1987. He is survived by his wife of 28 years, Becky; three children; and two grandchildren.
We will miss him more than words can say. Thank you, Dennis.
About the Author — David West is Executive Vice President of Equinox Information Systems. To learn more about Equinox, visit equinoxis.com or call (615) 612-1200.