Christopher Michael "Chris" Denning, 41, was born December 15, 1971 in Ulysses, KS to Vernon and Tina (Cowley) Denning. Chris graduated from Hobart High School in 1990 and received a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Southwestern Oklahoma State University in 1994. He joined the United States Air Force in 1995 and served his country with pride. In 2002 Chris received his nursing degree from the University of Central Oklahoma. At the same time Chris entered the Oklahoma Air National Guard and became a flight nurse.<br />
Denning had worked at the Integris Baptist Medical Center and later the Oklahoma Heart Hospital where he was known as a highly skilled and well-respected nurse. Chris had a quiet calmness that inspired confidence in him, and brought peace when you were around him. Chris didn't talk about himself; he would always talk about you. Many people said he was a very comforting and caring person that laid it on the line as to what was happening. Chris was a professional healer who mentored many and saved untold lives.<br />
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Chris enjoyed spending time at the shooting range, listening to hard rock music, and attending concerts. More than anything he enjoyed being with his wife Sally and his children, Taylor, Brayden, and Chloe.<br />
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It was about 5:40am, on a cold February morning when the EagleMed crew of three lifted off the pad in their Eurocopter AS 350 helicopter. They were responding to transport a critical cardiac patient in nearby Watonga when the helicopter crashed. In the final seconds of the flight, Flight Medic Billy Wynne, the only survivor, recalled Denning giving words of encouragement. The aircraft crashed in the parking lot of a nearby nursing home killing Chris and pilot Mark Montgomery.<br />
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Honored 2014 |