Dennis Arden Rudge

Dennis Arden Rudge passed away peacefully at home on February 13, 2026.  He was 79.  He was born in Warren Ohio on September 28,1946 to John Walter Rudge and Rosemary Fitzpatrick Rudge.  At the age of 5, after the birth of his only sibling, Michael Rudge, the family moved to Fort Pierce Florida.  This was the beginning of Dennis’ love of Florda.   When he was 10 the family uprooted again and moved to North Hollywood California a suburb of Los Angeles.   Upon completion of high school, Dennis followed in his father’s footsteps and enlisted in the Navy.  After training he was deployed as a Radarman on a nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser, the USS Long Beach, where they patrolled the coast of Vietnam and acted as Air Traffic Control for Hanoi. 

After the Navy, Dennis was introduced to television production with his first stagehand staff position at CBS Studios in Los Angeles.  He worked on All in the Family, The Carol Burnett Show, Sonny and Cher and many others.   It was at that time he decided to specialize in Lighting Design.   It was the start of a 45-year career lighting live event and music television shows all over the globe including the 1988 Seoul Olympics and 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, multiple Republican National Conventions, The Oscars, The Emmy Awards, The Grammy Awards, Kennedy Center Honors, The 3 Tenors World Tour as well as many years of the Miss Universe Pageant.

He met his wife, Riley, while working on The Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters television show in 1980.  It was the start of a 46-year love affair and 38-year marriage. 

Dennis and Riley retired to Florida in 2014 and have spent the last 12 years enjoying all the wonderful hobbies Florida has to offer.   Dennis was always a positive and happy influence on the lives of everyone he met.  He is survived by his wife, Riley Yagemann Rudge, brother Michael Rudge, Nieces Emily and Kiley Rudge. 

In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to Tunnel to Towers Foundation.