Captain Robert L. Dennison, Jr., 77, of Aiken and Greenwood, husband of Dr. Ann M. Holzhauer, died on Friday, February 6, 2026 at his home.
Born in Maryland, he was a son of the late Admiral Robert L. Dennison and Mildred M. Dennison. Robert earned his Bachelor of Engineering Science degree from Johns Hopkins University, after which he completed OCS in Newport, RI. He was on active duty with the Navy for four years, then attended MUSC, where he earned his MD. He completed a residency in Anesthesiology at the Medical College of Georgia and continued serving on the faculty as an attending anesthesiologist, as well as remaining in the Navy reserves until 2005, when he returned to active duty with the US Navy. Robert was deployed to Kuwait during the Iraq War in 2006, and he continued to serve active duty until his retirement from the Navy in 2010. Post-military life didn't slow him down; he continued his mission to help others working part-time at the Charlie Norwood VA Hospital until 2018.
He loved horses, and competed at training level in 3-day Eventing. He was co-organizer of the Hopeland Horse Trials, along with Julea Hovey, from 1991-2003, hosted at Hopeland Farms in Aiken by Tommy and Cathy Coward. He was an avid bicyclist and enjoyed the outdoors.
Robert is survived by his wife, Ann; a niece, Michelle Campbell (Mike) and her children, Maddy and Carson.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Lee Dennison and half-brothers, Guy Morton Neely and David Neely.
Robert will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery.
A special thank you to Karen Brown of Greenwood for her caregiving and friendship.
Memorials may be made to the Connie Maxwell Healing Center, 810 Maxwell Avenue, Greenwood, SC 29646 (conniemaxwell.com).