Dennis Maxwell Kaufman
January 31, 1941 - January 6, 2020
 

OKLAHOMA CITY
Dennis Maxwell Kaufman, husband, loving father, friend, philanthropist and entrepreneur, passed away on January 6, 2020. He was 78 years old.
Dennis was born in Oklahoma City. He attended Horace Mann Elementary School and was a proud graduate of Harding High School's Class of 1959. In high school he was a member of Phi Lambda Epsilon fraternity. He remained life-long friends with many of his classmates. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1963 with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration.
He worked in the credit department of Sunray DX and Shell Oil Companies before stepping out as an entrepreneur. After a brief stint at Arnold Palmer Dry Cleaning, he spent five years as a pecan farmer and small business owner in Texarkana, Arkansas before returning to Oklahoma City in 1974 starting a new venture, Kaufman Tank Service, hauling saltwater waste from drilling sites.
Following the oil bust of the early 1980's, Kaufman spent a few years as a comptroller at his father-in-law, Homer Miller's promotional products business before once again venturing out on his own with the purchase of Truckers Bookkeeping Service in 1991. His son, Wood, joined the company in 1998. The TBS family of companies now employs more than 225 people. Dennis loved working with his daughter, Quincy, his son-in-law, Jon, and other family members.
Kaufman gave generously to charity. In 2018 he was recognized by the Oklahoma Foundation for the Disabled, where he was a long-time board member, as its Compassionate Citizen of the Year. He was a Heritage Society member of B'nai B'rith International.
Kaufman is survived by his wife Kathleen Kaufman, son Wood Kaufman, his daughter Quincy Rodebaugh (husband Jason), daughter Cathie Coussens (husband Jon) and son Eric Vestal (wife Theresia). He is also survived by one sister Laurie Keim (husband Dennis) and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his sister Sherril Nolley and his parents Maxwell and Mary Jane (Roberts) Kaufman.
The family requests no flowers but would appreciate donations in memory of Dennis to one of his favorite charities: The Oklahoma Foundation for the Disabled, 8421 N. Walker Ave., OKC, OK 73114; Shriner's Hospital for Children, Development Office, 3100 Samford Ave., Shreveport, LA 71103; World Neighbors, 5600 N. May Ave., Suite 160, OKC, OK 73112; US Holocaust Memorial Museum, 10 Raoul Wallenberg Place SW, Washington, DC 20024-2126.
The family would like to express their gratitude for the long-time care of Dr. Mel Clark and his team of doctors, Dr. Santosh Prabhu and Dr. Richard Lane at Integris Heart Hospital.
Celebration of Life Service is being held Sunday, January 12, at 6pm, at Temple B'nai Israel, 4901 N. Pennsylvania Ave., OKC, OK 73112 with at Commemorative Gathering to follow at Capital View Event Center, 5201 North Lincoln Blvd., OKC, OK 73105.

Published in The Oklahoman on Jan. 11, 2020