William Denver "Denny" Wingate was born in Atlanta, Georgia on July 16, 1940 to Carolyn and Bill Wingate. He went to high school in Reidsville, Georgia where he was a standout football player. Denny was selected the outstanding running back and MVP on the undefeated Reidsville High School team in 1957 and was also selected to the All-State Team. He was also voted class president his senior year. Denny used to say that when all his friends wanted to be policemen and firemen, all he ever wanted to be was a cowboy.

Denny continued his education at McNeese State University on a football scholarship. Denny came to Kansas in the fall of 1960 where he went to work on the Robbins Ranch in Belvidere, Kansas where they cowboyed in the old ways, feeding cattle with a team and wagon all winter.

Denny's first rodeo was in Vidor, Texas in 1959. He went on to buy his PRCA card in 1962 and began his long and varied rodeo career in earnest, which took him across the United States and Canada. Denny rode bulls for a short time then specialized in bareback riding. He qualified for the National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City in 1967 and 1969. He continued to make his living in rodeo and worked on various ranches for several decades. Denny won the Southern Rodeo Association Finals when he was 38 years old, qualified for the Prairie Circuit Finals, and at 40, he capped off his rodeo career by winning the bareback riding at the National Old Timers Rodeo Association held in Las Vegas. He says his proudest moments in rodeo include: winning the Spanish Fork in 1965, Scottsdale in 1967, Springdale in 1968, and Montgomery in 1978 when he tied with the legendary Bruce Ford.

Denny eventually moved to Atlanta, Kansas where he met and married Carol King in 1980. He continued to operate and work on area ranches, train colts, and was a riding instructor as the Sankey Rodeo Schools. Denny was preceded in death by his parents and brother Harry Wingate of Vidalia, Georgia.

He is survived by his wife Carol of Cambridge; his brother John Wingate of Reidsville, GA; his sister Pam Jernigan-Wingate of Savannah, GA; his daughters Shawn Marymee and husband, Kelly of Winfield; Lynn Wingate of Olathe; his sons Matt Wingate of Flowery Branch, GA; Mike Wingate and wife, Krista of Overland Park; his grandchildren Denver Quade McCoy, Braden Wingate, Katelyn Wingate, Madelynn Wingate, Landon Wingate, Steven Venn, Kristen Irvin, and Amy Love; five great grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

A memorial service for Denny's friends to gather and celebrate his life will be held December 1, 2018 at 1:00 P.M. at the Burden Baptist Church, 423 Elm Street in Burden.  Miles Funeral Service is in charge of arrangements.