Robert Francis Dendy

Dr. Robert F. Dendy was a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, friend and mentor to many Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Dr. Dendy went to Brooklyn Technical High School and stayed in the concrete jungle until going to college.

After graduating from high school, Dr. Dendy went on to Michigan State University becoming the first in his family to go to college. While at MSU he was on the gymnastics team, specializing in the pommel horse and was the MSU gymnastics team captain for several years (he could also walk on his hands to get anywhere he wanted to go). Among many accomplishments while at MSU he also campaigned (and received) ADA access to all MSU buildings.

After getting his undergraduate degree at MSU he joined the Peace Corps to help people all over the world. He spent time in Hawaii for training but spent most of his time in Malaysia teaching math to kids in small Malaysian villages.

After Peace Corps he went back to MSU to complete his PhD in Psychology. When he completed his PhD he went back to Malaysia with the State Department to fight the heroin epidemic.

Dr. Dendy moved to the Washington DC area where he began sailing on the Chesapeake Bay, which was a very special love for him. He and his family would sail the Chesapeake on multi day trips, and take the entire family on Caribbean sailboat vacations for weeks at a time, with him as the captain and his wife and children as the crew. After moving to Nashville he and his family continued sailing and racing in regattas on Percy Priest Lake.

Dr. Dendy worked for HCA Psychiatric Company for many years. When the Psychiatric Company closed, he and a colleague took the opportunity to open an Employee Assistance Program which he enjoyed for a number of years before selling it. Additionally, he formed another company which provided geriatric psychiatric inpatient services. Dr. Dendy retired at 69, as he was ready to concentrate on enjoying his eight grandchildren.

During his lifetime Dr. Dendy enjoyed many hobbies including puttering in his Japanese garden, koi keeping, photography, listening to opera, reading and travelling around the world. He was a renaissance man and is already missed by many.