That love was evident throughout his adult life as Sennet, who died Tuesday night at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, served as a Middletown school board member, city commission member, newspaper reporter and owner of the Fairfield Times. He was 81.
Sennet also served as commission chairman and mayor for a short time.
In his spare time, he enjoyed watching political shows on TV, his wife said.
“That was the reporter in him,” she said. “He always wanted to know what was going on.”
John Rossi, 81, like Sennet, a 1951 Middletown High School graduate, said they were friends since the first grade at Holy Trinity.
They had a routine, these best friends, did. Every Sunday night, Sennet ate spaghetti and meatballs with the Rossis, then Rossi ate pot roast every Wednesday night with the Sennets.
They were separated for a few years when both were in the military, but eventually, they were reunited. Once they were married, they ate together at least once a month.
Now his best buddy is gone.
“A complete loss,” Rossi said.
He visited Sennet in the hospital, and hated to admit it, but his eyes filled with tears.
Randy Oppenheimer, executive director of Media and Community Relations for the Lakota Local School District, never worked with Sennet, but they were close friends who periodically ate lunch together.
Oppenheimer called Sennet “a wonderful mentor who taught me a lot about how to listen to people and know that everyone has a story to tell.”
Sennet also had “a big influence” on John Kiesewetter, a 1971 Fenwick High School graduate who later worked at The Middletown Journal and recently retired as a TV critic for the Cincinnati Enquirer. While in high school, Kiesewetter worked on The Page, a journalism program for juniors and seniors. Sennet was the adviser of the program that provided students an opportunity to write every Sunday in The Journal.
Kiesewetter said he also took a speech class at Fenwick that was taught by Sennet, and he used those skills frequently when he made public appearances.
“He was a patient, helpful and understanding man,” Kiesewetter said.
Les Landen, the city’s law director, praised Sennet for his contributions to the Middletown community. He said Sennet was a giving person and cared about the city and its residents.
“It’s always hard when you lose someone who served the public,” Landen said. “He will be truly missed by the city and the community.”
Besides a wife, Sennet leaves three children, Anne Sennet, Matthew Sennet and Steve Sennet; three grandchildren; and two step children, Diane Frick and David (Michelle) Frick.
The Sennets adopted three dogs from Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) and the dogs became an extension of the family.
“No matter where we went,” Dana Sennet said, “after a few hours, he’d say, ‘Let’s go home to the dogs.’”
The family is asking memorial donations be made to PAWS, 6302 Crossings Blvd., Monroe, OH 45050.
A Miami University graduate, Sennet was a season-ticket holder for Miami football games for about 40 years, his wife said.
Memorial Mass will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Holy Family Parish-Holy Trinity Church, 201 Clark St., with Father John Civille as celebrant. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service.
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