Dennis Arvin Lichty

Dennis, the son of Harmon and Florence (Hoscheit) Lichty, and stepmother Mary (Frickenstein) Lichty, was born Oct. 3, 1942, in Omaha.

Dennis grew up on a farm just outside of Creighton and from a young age showed that he was a very gifted musician. He graduated from Plainview High School in 1959 and started college at Wayne State. Dennis quit college and started playing saxophone and piano with the rock bands “The Cools” and “Don Sohl and the Road Runners.” However, in 1961, Dennis decided to pursue what would be his lifelong love of teaching and started his career at a country school near Plainview.

Dennis would later go on to finish his degree in elementary education at Wayne State College in Wayne in 1969. Dennis also earned his master’s degree in 1974 and his doctorate from the University of South Dakota in Vermillion in 1997. Over the course of his career, Dennis taught at the elementary, junior high, high school and collegiate levels. He also spent time working at the State Department of Education in Lincoln. Dennis retired from Wayne State College in the spring of 2016 ending a career spanning five decades. He truly loved the world of education and was quite literally a lifelong learner.

Dennis Lichty and Dorothy Belina were married Aug. 5, 1967, at St. Wenceslaus Church in Dodge. They resided in Plainview for over 40 years. After the death of his beloved wife, Dorothy, Dennis moved to Wayne to be closer to his job at Wayne State College. After his retirement, Dennis moved to Norfolk so he could be closer to his grandchildren and their many activities.

Dennis was preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy; daughter Tawna Lichty Reineke; son-in-law Chad Reineke; granddaughter Janicka Luschen; brother-in-law Lambert Belina Jr.; and his parents, parents-in-law and grandparents.

He is survived by his children, Anthony and Sarah (Cady) Lichty of St. Charles, Mo., Tara and Vince Tucker of McCook Lake, S.D., Tiffany Lichty of Norfolk and Tracy and Patricia Lichty of Norfolk; and his grandchildren, Eleanor, Miriam and Cassandra Lichty, Treyla and Traven Tucker, Kaden and Jace Lichty and Tirany Luschen. Dennis also is survived by his sister and brother-in-law, Connie and Raymond Belina of Norfolk; sister-in-law Dee Belina of Hay Springs; nieces, nephews and their families and many other relatives and friends.