The world became significantly less loud on July 3, 2026 when Denny Knopp, local entrepreneur and official King of Denny K’s, decided he’s finally had enough of us and clocked out for good.
Denny was a complex, beautifully stubborn and opinionated man. To some he was a hard-working sledge-hammer-swinging good friend who could fix just about anything. To others he was a philosopher king bestowing breakfast idioms of wisdom over pancakes at Jessica’s Family Restaurant while chatting with friends about the town’s ‘Doodlers’ and others.
His culinary empire began at the tender age of 13 slinging hash as a cook for his mom’s diner, THE BUSY BEE, that sparked a lifelong passion for cooking which led him to owning the legendary Denny K’s in Whitewater. If you’ve ever visited, you likely saw Denny anchored to his designated spot watching old western movies and waiting to cook you something while you enjoyed your beer.
While Denny loved escaping to Florida, everyone knew his absolute favorite most magical moments were spent with the true boss of his life, his mom Marcella ‘Marcy’ Armstrong. Denny was a fiercely loyal, exceptional son who spent his life making sure Marcy was taken care of. Proof that beneath that rough sarcastic exterior was a notoriously kind gentleman with such a giving heart.
He was also a man of random gift giving. If you were among the “chosen few” Denny might randomly show up at your doorstep to hand you a piece of bar memorabilia, a vintage T-shirt, or his prize tomato seeds complete with a side of his highly classified special sauce to get them growing. While he loved his kitties, a good tomato crop, and donating generously to every children’s charity he could find absolutely no one on this planet ranked higher in his books than the lad he treated like a grandson, Ricky. Ricky was Denny’s favorite human hands-down, no contest.
Denny was preceded in death by his beloved mom Marcy, his father Arthur, his brother Clint and his lifelong best friend Arlo. He leaves behind a sister Dawn, a brother Gary, two nephews Jameson and Kaelen, and Ricky. He also leaves behind Colleen and Katie and all his bartenders from over the years who deserve a medal for keeping Denny K’s running and keeping Denny in line and up with the times.
THE FINAL LAST CALL Per Denny’s probable wishes there will be no boring stuffy funeral or people wearing black and crying into tissue boxes. Instead, a proper celebration of life will be held Saturday, October 3, 2026 starting at 2 PM at Viola‘s Beer Here, 617 East Milwaukee St., Whitewater, WI. Come ready to raise a glass, swap stories Denny would surely deny and toast to a man who truly did it his way. Sarcasm is mandatory, tears are optional.
