We weren’t, I’m sorry to say, the best of friends. We didn’t fuss and feud, but for whatever reason Dawn Denzer and I couldn’t seem to share the genuine affection that exists between me and those who either preceded or succeeded her at the Rocky Mountain News: Bill Husted, Shery McDonald and Dahlia Weinstein.
Dawn and I were competitors. Our writing styles — and personalities — were as different as night and day, and each of us was fiercely determined to out-scoop the other.
Maybe, we were jealous of each other.
Not long after I started at The Post, I overheard her telling one of the city’s most prominent women to watch out for me because “Joanne’s not a society writer, she’s a REPORTER.” Later, I’d return the favor by rolling my eyes whenever someone would marvel at her talent for turning a clever phrase.
Now before anyone thinks I’m going to speak ill of the dead, relax. I’m not.
Dawn died on Mother’s Day following a 20-year battle with Parkinson’s disease. She fought the good fight, and maintained her sunny disposition up ’til the very end. I’m not so sure I could have, had I been in her shoes.
The fact that Dawn was loved was more than evident yesterday when mourners packed St. John’s Cathedral for her memorial service. Former Colorado first lady Frances Owens and Mort Marks were the lectors; retired Judge Bob Fullerton delivered the eulogy and the deacon of the cathedral, the Very Rev. Peter Eaton was the officiant and homilist. Paula Arnold of Newberry Bros. supplied the flowers that decorated the altar.
After the service, everyone adjourned to Strings where owners Noel and Tammy Cunningham paid a final tribute to their dear friend by hosting a lively champagne-and-mariachi music party Dawn would have loved.
On hand to pay their respects were such friends and admirers as Sue Anschutz-Rodgers; Scott Coors; Kay Lawrence and her son, Cuz Lawrence; Joy Burns; Debi Medved; Dutchess Scheitler and her father, Joe Iacino; Carolyn MacRossie; Mary Vessels; Norm Early; Jo Farrell; Sally Rippey; Jack Jonas; Ron Fukuhara; Jim Pfister and Marc Roth; ZeZe Kreidle; Judi and Marvin Wolf; Leo and Linda Goto; Rex John; Pat Smedley; Barbara Knight; Jerry and Becky Barnett; Vernon Kaitz; Irene Zarlengo; Patterson Benero; drag queens Nina Montaldo and Jackie O; Thomas Edmonds Hardy; Cal and Gretchen Pope; Jill Behr; Kristina Davidson; Larry and Wanda Fanning; Nikolo Balkanski; Jane Withers; Joanne Kalish; and Jamie and Alan Angelich.
It was Jamie, along with Sharon Whiton Gelt and Mary Margaret Wright, who stuck with Dawn as her Parkinson’s worsened. They visited her often, sometimes more than once a day, at her final home, Shalom Park, fixing her hair and applying makeup so she could retain her dignity as Parkinson’s caused her body to fail.
That neither Dawn nor I made the effort to know each other better is a huge regret. We probably had a lot more in common than either of us could have imagined. And I can only hope to have made friends who remain as loyal as hers.
Denver Post Society Editor Joanne Davidson’s column appears every Sunday, Wednesday and Friday in the Scene section. She can be reached at 303-809-1314 or jdavidson@denverpost.com.
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A tough goodbye
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