Dennis was born in Arbroath. At the age of fifteen he joined the family fishing business and worked in it for some years before transferring for a time to a shore-based engineering job. The pull of the sea proved too strong and, having bought a boat, Dennis returned to fishing as a master. He now runs his own company, Tayside Marine Services, which originally was mainly concerned with supplying boats to civil engineering companies, working on bridges. Now married to Bronwen, Dennis has three grown up children from a previous marriage.
Before moving to Newburgh, Dennis was a member of the Rotary Club of Arbroath. He then transferred to the Howe of Fife club and has served as president. As part of the club's fundraising activities, Dennis and Bronwen organise an annual ceilidh. In addition to being heavily involved in Rotary's service to others - locally, nationally and internationally - Dennis attaches a great deal of importance to the fun and fellowship aspects of the organisation. His enthusiasm has helped him to recruit a number of new members.
