Dennis Brown Driscoll, 90, a lifelong resident of Troy, passed away peacefully on Friday, Feb. 7, 2025.
He was born Sept. 8, 1934, in Colfax to John Joseph Driscoll and Florence Diethelm Driscoll.
Dennis, proud of his heritage, was a third-generation Driscoll Ridge farmer who lived and worked near the original farm, homesteaded in 1881 by his grandparents, Joseph and Elizabeth Driscoll. They were early members of the Driscoll family who emigrated from Ireland to New Brunswick, Canada, and later to Idaho in search of better farmland.
As an only child, Denny enjoyed an idyllic life growing up on the family farm, working and learning about farming and cattle ranching while developing a formidable work ethic under the guidance of his beloved father, Jack, and mother, Florence.
In high school, he enjoyed basketball, cars and pranking friends. He attended Troy schools up until his junior year, graduating from Moscow. In 1952 he married Ann Nilsson from Genesee, and they had three children: Mary, Jill and Angie. The marriage ended in 1977.
Working alongside his father, Jack, until his death in 1972, Denny helped expand the farm, growing wheat, lentils, garbanzo beans and timothy hay. In the earlier years, he employed many young local kids looking for their first summer job. He took great pride in the appearance, maintenance and care of the farm. It was just as important to him to teach his daughters how to wax and shine the grain trucks, as it was to teach them how to drive them. When neighbors were in need, he didn’t hesitate to lend equipment, or to send “the guys” over to help harvest the crop or pull an occasional tractor out of the mud.
As the farm expanded, Denny embraced modern technologies while also valuing the hands-on skills of the hired men to meet the farm’s needs. Whether fabricating custom sprayers, designing a spray tender trailer or constructing a farm shed, he combined innovation with craftsmanship to enhance operations. Through the years, the farm persevered through the inherent uncertainties of agriculture, always supported by a dedicated crew.
With his passion for farming, Denny’s hobbies and livelihood were deeply intertwined. Yet, basketball, riding his motorcycle, country music and dancing the two-step were close behind. In the winter, he often spent time with family in Portland.
Throughout his life and well into his 80s, he eagerly embraced technology, whether it was having the latest iPhone or driving tractors outfitted with auto-steer technology.
Denny enjoyed the lifelong kinship of the local Troy coffee shop, rarely missing a morning.
In his later years, he enjoyed watching “the guys” harvest from a vantage point on “the ridge,” sitting in his red truck and listening to Willie.
Denny is survived by his daughters Mary Westberg (James), of Coolin, Idaho, Jill Wagner (Craig), of Portland, Ore., and Angie Vonderohe (Tim), of Cottonwood Heights, Utah; and five grandchildren.
A celebration of Denny’s life will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, April 4, at the Troy Lions Club, 415 S. Main, Troy.
Memorial donations may be made to the Troy Historical Society or Troy Fire Department.
