Dennis Akira Dote passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Thursday, April 29, 2021.  He was the only son of Tomiko & Fumito Dote and was born in the Amache, Colorado internment camp on March 24, 1943.  His family returned to Southern California following World War II and he grew up in South Central Los Angeles.   He loved reminiscing about his days at Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles, where he was a part of the Class of 1961.  From there, he attended Los Angeles City College before being drafted into the Army.  Dennis met and married Jane (Hayakawa) Dote in 1974 and started a family of his own in Cerritos, California.  He later went on to earn an MBA from California State University Dominguez Hills in June of 1978.

Dennis loved sports and would spend much of his time listening to and watching sporting events on TV or radio.  Pro and college baseball, basketball and football were among his favorites, with the Dodgers and Lakers at the top of his list.  The way he could list stats remains unparalleled and he LOVED when conversations took a well versed turn towards sports.

Humor was another gift that exuded from him.  He would often introduce himself as "Dennis the Menace" with a twinkle in his eye and his smile that would light up the room.  He was proud of his doppleganger being Jack Soo.  He had a gift for bringing out the lightness of a situation with his jokes and contagious laughter.  Dennis is well remembered for the warmth he radiated, along with his smile and laugh.  Dennis loved people.  He had such a gift of making everyone feel so special and welcome with a smile that hugged at a heart level.  Paired with his playful sense of humor, he had a knack for bringing out the childlike joy in all of us.

He is survived by his wife Jane, his daughter Janelle Portman (Jonathan), his daughter Eleanor Dote, and his three grandchildren, Matthew, Paige, and Danny.

A viewing will be held on Sunday, May 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Fukui Mortuary 707 E. Temple St. in Los Angeles.

A funeral mass will be held on Saturday, June 19 at 10 a.m. at St. Cyprian Church 4714 Clark Ave. in Long Beach.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made to the Lakers Youth Foundation at https://www.prestosell.com/cgi-bin/order.pl?ref=lyfdonation&fm=1