American Sand Association

SAN DIEGO OFF ROAD MAGAZINE
Monday, September 28, 2009

We are saddened to report the loss of a dynamic, passionate crusader for off road rights. Roy Denner, founder of the Off Road Business Association passed away today, September 28, 2009 after a 23 month battle with pancreatic cancer.

Roy slipped away quietly in his home in the presence of his wife of 52 years. Nancy writes "he took his last breath while I was giving him a goodbye kiss. He had a very peaceful, pain free passing. His long battle is finally over and he is at peace. I am surrounded by close friends and family."

Roy devoted the last 15+ years of his life fighting legal battles on behalf of off road enthusiasts. He invested so many thousands of hours into this endeavor that in his final years he scarcely had time to participate in the sport himself.

Roy will be missed by many and we are all deeply indebted to the Denner family.

Sincerely, Steve & Sherri Kukla

Rest in Peace Roy. You made a huge positive impact on our sport and because of the sacrifice of your time, and your wife's time with you, we continue to have a fighting chance.


Thank you and God Speed!

Serving on the TRT with Roy was a pleasure and a great learning experience. His passion to our fight was intense. There was never a doubt of Roy's position on an issue as he was very vocal and persistant in presenting it. We've gained, and held, a lot of ground through Roy's efforts. One thing that Roy was especially good at after Federal funding started drying up following Fee Demo was squeezing money from the DC politicos.

Thanks Roy. We'll miss you.

Roy, rest in peace and my condolences to his entire family and all his friends.
I first met Roy back in 1999 when the BLM formed the original TRT. Roy was part of that committee as was I.
I learned to respect his opinions and I also respected his drive and stamina when he formed ORBA. He will be missed

The off road community lost a great and compassionate leader. Roy will be missed. I question whether there is someone with the compassion and willingness to sacrifice their time to fill the void.

My heart felt condolences to Roy's family and close friends. This is truely a sad day.

--Mike

My sincerest condolences to his family.

Truly a sad day for the Off road cause and pass my sincerest condolences to Roy's family. I too have seen and heard Roy's work over the years on both TV and print media. His passion truly was something we all can learn and aspire to. Vaya con dios Amigo

Very sad day. I had some great conversations about Roy at the Sand Sports show. He was and is on everyone's mind. Some of my strongest memories of Roy were at the DAC meetings. He was loud and stood his ground on our behalf time and again. Time will tell just how strong Roy's legacy will be to the off-road community. Rest well Roy, we'll miss you...

I well remember meeting Roy at a RAMP meeting several years ago, and talking with him at the SSSS several times. He was truly one of the good guys and will be missed greatly.

I don't know where to begin. The times I saw Roy at a DAC meeting or at the SSSS, or any other off-road event, he was a dynamo of energy and a tireless advocate for the off-road community.

My condolences to his family for their loss. I hope his legacy inspires all of us to pursue our interests passionately.

I saw this first on another web site. Very sad news, indeed. Few people put as much effort into our cause. A big thanks to Roy and to his family who supported him.

A good article.


ORBA Founder Roy Denner Passes Away
Crowdog | Oct 03, 2009

Roy Denner
By Jon Crowley

This week the off-road community lost a long-time leader when Roy Denner passed away after a 23-month battle with pancreatic cancer. Roy is survived by his wife Nancy of 52 years. My thoughts and prayers are with Nancy and the rest of the Denner family.

Roy and Nancy were avid motorcycle riders. They taught their son to ride at five years of age and also taught many of his friends and their children to ride in the early 1960’s. Roy’s lessons always included a healthy respect for the environment. The love of the sport continued throughout his life and he worked hard to preserve riding experiences for his grandchildren, nieces, nephews and thousands of off-roaders that he didn’t even know.

Roy became active in land-use in the 1990’s as a member of the San Diego Off-Road Coalition (SDORC), where he was the Director of Land Use for several years. He also served as a member of the California Desert District Advisory Council for many years as well as the ISDRA Technical Review Team. For his hard work and dedication, he was named OHV Volunteer of the Year by the California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division in 1999.

After the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was used to close a huge chunk on the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area in 2000, Roy saw the writing on the wall. He knew that off-road businesses needed to band together and form a non-profit trade association that could go on the offensive to stem the tide of closures. From there, the Off-Road Business Association (ORBA) was born. Roy worked tirelessly to grow the organization and make it a powerful force not only in the political arena where Roy knew off-roaders must become influential, but also within the land management agencies that carry out the laws and the will of those in office.

Appeasement with environmental extremist wasn’t part of Roy’s mode of operation and I think that is what I found most refreshing about Roy. He knew all too well that every time off-roaders compromised meant that we lost access to another acre and our way of life would slowly die with each battle. Roy was aggressive at a time when off-roaders needed direction, and we are all indebted to him for pushing us in that direction.

I had the privilege to meet Roy in person back in about 2002 at a political fundraiser in Sacramento. Thanks to the internet, I had read a lot about Roy and when I shook his hand for the first time, I told him that he was my hero. Being a newbie in the world of OHV closures, Roy was bigger than life to me. I had seen how the ESA and Wilderness designations worked as perfect tools for environmental extremists and knew that my favorite sand dune in Nevada would soon be in their sights. I tapped Roy to help with the fight to keep Sand Mountain Recreation Area open, and I know that without his help and guidance, we would have lost a lot more.

Roy was tireless in the fight for the rights of off-roaders, and future generations are indebted to the passion he brought to the table year after year. Roy wasn’t the kind of guy that wanted anyone to fuss over him, and he didn’t care much for memorial services, but he will be missed by many. I thought it would be fitting to have off-roaders tell us about how he made a difference to them.

If you have something you would like to say about Roy, please send an email and/or photos to jon@utvweekly.com.

Rest in peace Roy…