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Charles Erwin "Charlie" Dennis Jr., 81, of Harleysville, Pa., and previously of Glen Burnie, died Sept. 13 at his home.

Mr. Dennis was the retired owner and president of the Dennis Detective Agency, which operated in Severna Park for more than 30 years. There were also branches in Ocean City and Rehoboth Beach, Del.

Born in Newport, R.I., on Dec. 25, 1925, he was the son of the late Charles E. Dennis and Catherine Pingley Dennis Clelland and the stepson of the late Catherine McClosky Dennis and John Boyd Clelland. Mr. Dennis was a direct descendant of Capt. William Louis Jovet, who came to this country with Count D'Estaing during the American Revolution and fought with George Washington at Yorktown. A member of the Sons of the American Revolution, he was instrumental in arranging the first Dennis family reunion in Newport, R.I., in 2000 and co-published the Dennis Clan newsletter.

He came to this area after enlisting in the Navy during World War II, serving at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and aboard the USS Glennon. Later he was an investigative photographer for the Armed Services Police in Washington, D.C., a chief special agent with the Baltimore Transit Co. and a private commercial photographer before founding his company.

Mr. Dennis had been president twice of the Severna Park Chamber of Commerce, president of the Kiwanis Club of Severna Park and the Anne Arundel County Young Democrats, treasurer of the Greater Severna Park Council and president of the Maryland Association of Detectives and the National Council of Investigation and Security Services.

He also had been president of the World Association of Detectives and chairman of the Anne Arundel Crimes Reward Commission. President Ford appointed him to the Guards and Investigation Committee and he participated in the Maryland Governor's Commission of Security Guards and Special Police.

Mr. Dennis also was active in the Elks, Masons, Scottish Rite, Boumi Temple, Disabled American Veterans and Maryland Law Enforcement Officers Inc.

He was a longtime member of the Chartwell Garden Club, Wagon Master of the Boumi Campers and enjoyed traveling, fishing, dancing and singing.

His wife of 48 years, Marion "Irene" Kistler Dennis, died in 1995.

He is survived by his wife of eight years, the former Doris Suresch; three daughters, Kathleen Fisher of Millersville, Mary Caldwell-Westrick of Severna Park and Elizabeth Dennis-Crouse of Littleton, W.Va.; one son, Charles E. Dennis III of Severna Park; four stepchildren, Adrian Suresch of Shrewsbury, Pa., Donna Suresch of Harleysville, and David and Steven Suresch of Glen Burnie; eight siblings; nine grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Visitation is from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. tomorrow at Barranco and Sons Severna Park Funeral Home, where services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday. Burial will be at 12:30 p.m. in Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington, D.C. See www.barrancofuneralhome.com for online condolences.

As published on 9/18/2007 in The Capital Newspaper, Annapolis, MD