Johnnie Kirk Dennis

Johnnie Kirk Dennis, 84, of Beaufort, died Thursday, October 10, 2024, at the Crystal Coast Hospice in Newport.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, Nov. 8, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. at the Noe-Brooks Funeral Home, 201 Professional Circle, Morehead City, NC. Visitation will be held in the reception area immediately following the service. Memorial gifts may be made to Public Radio East or The Wounded Warrior Project.

Johnnie was born at home in Beaufort on September 22, 1940 to Burl Dennis and Dorothy Kirk Dennis. He attended Beaufort Elementary School and was a proud member of the 1958 graduating class of Beaufort High School, where the yearbook motto beside his name read “My life, I love thee”. 

He grew up in the Dogtown part of Beaufort, a few blocks from Taylor’s Creek, where he promptly learned to swim after being tossed off a dock. He often described Dogtown as the perfect place to grow up, always accompanied by Rusty, his beloved dog. 

Johnnie is survived by his wife of 35 years, Kay; his daughter, Joni Dennis; his sister, Bobbi Dennis Young, several cherished cousins, and many special friends. 

Following high school he joined the United States Coast Guard and served on active duty for four years, with frequent tours in the North Atlantic, followed by reserve duty until mid-1968. Following his interests, he completed numerous technical training schools.

Having received his first camera at age ten, he and a friend opened Bogue Art Photography Studio and Sales and introduced outdoor photography to the county. His favorite location was Fort Macon because of the quality of its light. In later years he enjoyed more impromptu opportunities to shoot pictures.

He pursued a career with IBM, successfully completing a battery of screening tests. His work with high-performance mainframe computers included devising a Weyerhaeuser system to manufacture paper from lumber without human touch. He also consulted and serviced mainframes at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point with a high level security clearance. He was the first recipient of the “IBM Means Service” Award in 1972. 

Anticipating the PC revolution, he entered and won a company lottery to purchase one of IBM’s first personal computers for beta testing. He actively encouraged his friends to buy computers, then showed them how to operate them and write programs using computer languages. He stood on the leading edge of emerging technologies, acquiring and mastering the latest devices. 

In 1982, Johnnie left IBM to become an independent consultant. He worked as a media consultant for an international group, building large screen multimedia installations in San Diego, San Franscisco, San Jose, and elsewhere for the Association for Computing Machinery. He created visual and data networks for large scale displays at several international computing conferences. He also contributed to the early development of the North Carolina Information Highway.

Johnnie provided computer programming and consulting at East Carolina University’s new School of Medicine and was instrumental in establishing its first computer network and email system. He developed an award-winning video disk, “Wound Care, An Interactive Guide for Nurses”, published by the Health Sciences Consortium in Chapel Hill. While working with the clinicians at then-Pitt County Memorial Hospital in Greenville, NC., he met his future wife, Kay.

He coordinated the production of a program for PBS, “Chief Two Trees, Cherokee Medicine Man.” An interview conducted by one of ECU’s first medical students provided insight into the traditional medicine still practiced in rural America.

In 1999 Johnnie became the lead technology consultant for the East Carolina University College of Nursing. During this time, Johnnie oversaw many groundbreaking achievements in developing online education for the College of Nursing and East Carolina University. He worked closely with the founders of Blackboard™, one of the first online platforms for online teaching. His efforts enabled the College of Nursing to become one of the early leaders in the United States for online nursing instruction.

In addition to this major achievement, he also oversaw the setup of the first ECU server, specifically for a college in the university. He managed an outstanding technology team that still exists at the College of Nursing. In 2006 he was the recipient of a Major Achievement Award at the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the College of Nursing. His accomplishments will benefit students at the College of Nursing for generations to come. 

In his “retirement”, Johnnie explored macrophotography to capture the intricate shapes of flowers from Kay’s gardens. He used his computer to create fractal images (complex, never-ending patterns), using non-Euclidean geometry equations and algorithms. Johnnie enjoyed listening to Chopin Nocturnes while designing these images.

Johnnie showed us much about how to live. To be curious. Kind. Gentle with the feelings of others. To know God and be grateful every day for the beautiful world He created. Johnnie created a meaningful life, savored its greatness, and accepted the challenges with grace, always “rising above” and giving thanks for the thrill of being alive. He was widely known, respected, and appreciated. He made this world a better place. He will be deeply missed. 

Condolences and life tributes may be sent to the family at www.noebrooks.net.

Arrangements by Noe-Brooks Funeral Home, Morehead City, NC.