Service and transition are themes in the lives of Kitty (French) Lenhart (B.S., food science and nutrition, ‘68) and her husband, George Dennis “Denny” Lenhart. From her earliest connections visiting Colorado State University as a child to their recent investment in scholarships for student-veterans in the College of Health and Human Sciences, the Lenharts have built meaningful ties to the community through service.
Through a lifetime of adventure, Kitty and Denny have traveled around the world as a career Army family, moving continents, countries, or states every few years. Both Denny and Kitty forged careers in areas they loved: Kitty in nutrition and public health and Denny as an infantry officer in the United States Army. Their experience as part of the military community led them to create the French Lenhart Student Veteran Scholarship in the College of Health and Human Sciences.
Fulfilling dreams
Both Kitty and Denny grew up in California but had a larger worldview from the beginning. Thanks to close family members who acted as mentors and encouraged them to attend college, Kitty and Denny began their exploration via higher education.
Kitty grew up in the Monterey Peninsula region of California in the then-small town of Pacific Grove. As a child, she often visited Colorado to see family members in Cañon City, Greeley, and Estes Park. At a young age, Kitty was introduced to CSU through a family member who had graduated from the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Denny spent his childhood in Oakland, California, and was encouraged by his uncle, an air fighter pilot, to attend a U.S. service academy. Denny’s color blindness prevented him from following in his uncle’s footsteps, but he did receive a full ride offer to play football at the University of Oregon. He later found his fit the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, and graduated in 1961.
Kitty’s choices at CSU have had lasting impacts on her career and relationships. She chose to major in food science and nutrition due to her grandmother’s and mother’s ongoing challenges with diabetes. And, she joined the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, where she forged lifelong friendships.
Service and transitions
Kitty and Denny each found their way back to California after earning their degrees, where they met. Following their marriage in 1969, Kitty and Denny set off on their life as a military family, moving more than 14 times during Denny’s military career. With each move, Kitty found herself seeking new employment or creating a new role.
“Since we moved every 2-3 years, I was constantly reinventing myself in new environments to find employment,” Kitty recalled.
Her career highlights include roles as a registered dietitian in hospital and public health settings as well as private practice as a nutrition consultant. The couple spent eight years in Japan, where Kitty worked for the Department of Defense and Denny served as Chief Liaison Officer to the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force in the US Army. Using her background in nutrition, Kitty launched a new healthy lifestyle program for active-duty members and veterans.
This experience working with service men and women sparked the Lenharts’ shared passion for supporting veterans. They saw firsthand the importance of community support veterans need after retiring from military life.
“Community support for veterans is about acknowledging their sacrifices and supporting their journey back to civilian life,” Kitty said. “By promoting awareness, advocacy, and direct support, communities can ensure that veterans are not just appreciated for their past contributions, but also empowered for their future endeavors.”
A Life Member of the CSU Alumni Association, Kitty learned of the many ways the university supports student-veterans, including the New Start for Student-Veterans Program in the Department of Occupational Therapy. Knowing how difficult it can be for returning veterans to go back into higher education, Kitty and Denny want to ensure that there is support for the college’s student-veterans on their path toward graduation. In creating the French Lenhart Student Veteran Scholarship, they want to ensure that a student-veteran at CSU can succeed.
Adventures and family
Today, Kitty and Denny are avid hikers, belonging to a local hiking club where they have lived in Moraga, California, for the past 24 years following Denny’s retirement. This year, they are celebrating 55 years of marriage with a hiking trip to Japan. Kitty continues to stay close to her CSU connections, maintaining friendships with her sorority sisters in Kappa Kappa Gamma. Denny and Kitty are also involved in the Saint Andrews Society Foundation, a heritage society for families of Scotland and their descendants.
What Kitty and Denny value the most is spending time with their two children and their families, which include four grandchildren.
Sara Umland contributed to this story.
The Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition is part of CSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences.
