MSU Denver mourns the passing of Lyle E. Dehning

Lyle E. Dehning, a 91-year-old resident of Longmont and former Metropolitan State University of Denver faculty member, passed away May 5.  

“Lyle was one of the first faculty members starting at Metro State in 1967,” said College of Business Dean Ann Murphy, Ph.D. “During his time with the University, he instructed thousands of students. He had a wonderful sense of humor and would often stop by my office with a joke or two. He could also take a dig as well, as when I would remind him that he started at Metro when I was entering first grade.” 

Dehning obtained his bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Colorado in 1961 and worked for the then-Big 8 accounting firm Arthur Andersen for a year before becoming a staff accountant at CU. When the opportunity arose to teach an introductory Accounting class at MSU Denver (then Metropolitan State College), Dehning seized it. After earning his master’s degree in Accounting, he became a full-time Accounting professor at the University for 33 years while maintaining a private accounting practice. He was still a practicing accountant until his death. 

Dehning’s life was marked by his love for family and travel. He visited all 50 states and over 50 countries, often planning international trips for large groups of friends. Despite his professional commitments, he always prioritized his family, coaching youth baseball, volunteering in scouts and playing football with his sons. He rarely missed his sons’ events and continued this tradition with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.