God showed me how to find JOY in every single moment of every single day. There is JOY in waking up each day. There is JOY in seeing family members showing their love for me. There is JOY in experiencing support from friends. There is JOY in knowing that others were praying for me. There is JOY in our lives each day. We just need to be able to recognize it. Can we find JOY in cancer? ABSOLUTELY!

—Dennis Docheff, Finding JOY in Cancer

Dennis Michael Docheff, 69, of Warrensburg, MO passed away on January 15, 2025 after a long, but joyful, battle with cancer.

Dennis is survived by his wife Keri, whom he thanked every day for marrying him (TFFM); his children, Dodge, Payton and his wife Andrea, and Emily and her husband RJ; his granddaughter Keeley; his mother, Shirley; his brothers, Dan and Tim, and their families; and his half-sister, Christy, and her family. He was preceded in death by his father, Dill.

Dennis taught those in his influence unending persistence, service, and gratitude. He was equally tough in will and tender in heart. Dedicated to Christian witness in his home, in his professional area, and in his local community, his love for his Lord sustained his joy, even through trial.

Dennis was a lifelong teacher and coach. "Dr. D" will be remembered for his scholarship and leadership in Physical Education, but more importantly, for the personal impact he left on his colleagues, his students, and educators across the country.

Dennis donated his body to the University of Kansas School of Medicine for health science education and research. To quote John Wooden, as he often would, "If you are through learning, you are through." Dennis may indeed be through, but through his life and death, we will continue to learn.

Donations in memory of Dennis can be made to the Johnson County Cancer Foundation (or a foundation serving families fighting cancer in your own community) or to the K-LOVE radio network.