Dennis W. Witter, 1947-2025
Saturday, June 7, 2025 at 12:28PM Hello Friends:
It is with a heavy heart that we have to announce the passing of our founder (and my best friend and cohort in this crazy business for the past 37 years), Dennis Witter. All my sympathies and love go out to his wife Linda as well as all of his children and grandchildren. We've been a family all these years.
I can remember a sunny afternoon in April of 1988 where Dennis and I sat in two chairs in an empty storefront in the old Westlake Shopping Center and we discussed his vision for this business. That was the birth of Westlake Rare Coins. Dennis enjoyed the hobby since his early youth, sparked by the gift of an Indian Cent by an uncle, leading to a lifelong love of numismatics. Prior to Westlake Rare Coins he was in the construction business for a quarter century with his father; their company, D.W.Witter, Inc., built commercial grain handling systems both domestically and all over the world.
Dennis and I first met in 1984 when I was running another coin business; he was originally a customer but we quickly became good friends. When he told me of his desire to open a coin business and have me be a part of it, I was all in. I could write a thousand pages of stories about our adventures here over the years.
Here we are, four decades later.
Dennis, you were like my cantankerous older brother and I'll miss you more than you'll ever know...and I hope that you felt that I did well for you all these years.
Rest in peace, my friend.
Jack