Dennis Wiltse

Dennis James "DJ" Wiltse, 83, of Longwood, Fla., passed away on Oct. 5, 2024.

He was born in Kokomo, Ind., on Sept. 23, 1941 to Edward and Kathleen (Runyon) Wiltse.

He was a 1959 graduate of Roosevelt High School in Monticello, Ind.

He married Gail Gamble on Sept. 15, 1963 at her parents' home in Monticello, and she survives.

He attended Findlay College in Findlay, Ohio, earning a bachelor's degree in Spanish in 1968. He also attended Thunderbird Institute of International Management in Phoenix, Ariz., where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1969.

He worked as a social worker for the ARC of Putnam County (Florida) for 38 years, retiring in 2013.

He was a member of the Palatka Kiwanis Club, serving as its president for one year.

He was a 30-year member of Howe Memorial United Methodist Church in Crescent City. He later became a member of St. James United Methodist Church in Palatka, and after moving to Longwood from Pomona Park, the Sanlando United Methodist Church. He was a choir member and enjoyed singing in all of these churches. He also enjoyed performing Southern Gospel, singing in churches, at outdoor concerts and at open mic events in Christian bookstores throughout Central Florida.

He was a member of several United Methodist Volunteers in Mission trips to Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America and South America, often serving as the mission groups' primary Spanish language interpreter.

He was a Master Gardener and an avid botanist and horticulturist who enjoyed cultivating tropical and subtropical plants in and around his home.

DJ always found the good in people and encouraged everyone he met.

Other survivors include daughters Connie (Steve) Williams, Plain City, Ohio, and Sherry DeHoyos, Longwood; sisters Kathleen Howard, Pamela (Donald) Bilderback, and Rebecca (Dan) Wisser, all of Orlando; a brother, Theodore "Ted" (Lisa) Wiltse, Anaheim, Calif.; granddaughters Katie (Stephen) Wascura, Jamestown, Tenn., Carrie Williams, DeBary, and Jennifer (Christopher) Wisser-Stokes, Orlando; and a grandson, Charles Waldrep, Palatka; great-granddaughters Harley Waldrep, Charlotte Waldrep, and Carolina Wisser-Stokes, and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by a brother, Stephen Wiltse, and a son, Steven Wiltse.

A celebration to honor his life will be held at Highland Funeral Home in Apopka on Oct. 26, 2024, at 11 a.m., followed by a reception. Friends and family are invited to join.

Memorials may be made to The ARC of Putnam.