Dennis Vrban

 Dennis “Denny” Anthony Vrban was born December 28, 1946 in Knoxville, IA, the second child and first son of Anthony “Tony” and Bonnie Marie (Richards) Vrban.

Denny was raised in the west end of Pleasantville, IA on the lot west of the high school where overflow parking now exists. This is important because the West End kids would often take on their rival East End, or North End, or even South End kids in a round of baseball on any given summer’s evening in the mid 1950’s. Besides his folks and six siblings, the house bustled with any number of visitors, neighbor kids, and taken-in strays, both animal and human alike.

In his early teens, Denny went to help his grandparents, Tommy and Ruby (Galvin) Richards on their farm after Tommy suffered a broken leg. He ended up staying for several years, and recounted his time on the farm as being some of his favorite memories.

In 1965, Denny graduated from Pleasantville High School. He went on to study at Central Missouri State in Warrensburg, MO. In the middle of his college career, he took a break to enlist in the Iowa Army National Guard, attending Basic Training at Fort Polk, LA, and MOS Training at Fort Sam Houston, TX, specializing as a medic.  He returned to finish college, earning a degree in Education/Industrial Arts in 1970, and served five and a half years in the Guard.

It was rumored that he never took a teaching job, because he just couldn’t stomach wearing a suit and tie, but he found much work making use of his knowledge and skills with local employers such as VanderLinden Construction and his father’s trucking business. Denny continued his career in trucking, working for Vince Orr Trucking and Ben Shinn Trucking before setting out to become owner/operator of Denny Vrban Trucking.

Denny was married twice in his life, the first in 1970 to Vicki Ann Maeschen with whom his first daughter Jennifer was born, and the second in 1977 to Vickie Ann Ewing. They had Michael and Michelle, or “the twins” as the town knew them, which was quite unique in that day and age.

In the 90’s Denny went to work for 3M where he stayed for ten years before hearing the call of the road again. After that, he once again began his own business, Central Iowa Trucking. He continued trucking throughout the rest of his life, with his last job being to haul away debris from the Knoxville VA demolition a few years ago. He figured he had over three million miles on the road which made him keenly aware of road conditions. As a result, he was always ready to offer advice on navigating them, usually resulting in the recommendation to “take the back roads.”

Denny could almost always be found talking about or working on an engine, from dirt bikes to street cars to sprint cars. In his youth he was racing them, as he grew older he was building them. Over the years he stocked up quite the trophy collection, but perhaps his biggest personal triumph came in the 2014 racing season when Steve Breazeale twice won the 305 Sprint Car Feature piloting the #57 owned and built by Denny.

Many said that Denny was the most knowledgeable mechanic in Marion County, but he took the most pride in reporting on his kids’ and grandkids’ accomplishments. He took special joy in following his grandsons to the dirt bike track and helping them wield a wrench.

Denny passed away surrounded by loved ones on January 17th, 2025 due to complications from his recent diagnosis of lymphoma. He was 78. Preceding him in death were his parents, sister Sheila and brother-in-law Mike Smith, and brothers-in-law George Chapman and Ronnie Heaberlin.

Those left to honor his memory include his siblings: Sherri Heaberlin, Richard “Dick” (Sandy) Vrban, Tom (Jan) Vrban, Toni “Pert” (Terry) Carlson, and Joni (Brad) Cowden; children: Jennifer (Jason) Latch, Michelle (Shon) Greene, and Michael (Melissa) Vrban; grandchildren: Briar Greene, Ava Greene, Jacquelyn Latch, Charlotte Latch, Amelia Latch, Sydney Vrban, Ellie Greene, and Grant Vrban;  his favorite feline and constant companion Mo; and many, many good friends.

Denny donated his body to scientific research at the University of Iowa in hopes that work could be done to help those stricken with the same medical maladies he was dealt in life. He did not wish to have any big “to do” like a funeral or celebration of life, so the family will host “NOT Denny Vrban’s Celebration of Life: Shop Style” on March 8th from 1-4pm at his daughter Michelle’s (701 W. Jasper, Pleasantville.) There will be a few remarks at 2pm from Pastor Knaus, who baptized him during his first hospital stint in December (and of which he was very proud.)

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Friends of Webb Shadle Public Library. Besides housing archives of Pleasantville history pertinent to this family, the library has been the Christmas gathering place for the extended Vrban family for many years.