Lanny Dean Callen, "The great" as he jokingly referred to himself was born on May 29, 1942, and went to heaven on July 31, 2025 at Monument Hospital following an illness. Lanny was born to Elise (Donnenworth) and Arthur Callen at St. John's Hospital in Rapid City, SD. He spent most of his life in the Rapid City area attending Rapid City High School before joining the Navy during Vietnam. He served as a Navy Airdale based out of San Diego, CA. He spent a short time in San Diego after being honorably discharged from the military before returning home to the Rapid City area. He loved Rapid City and was grateful to call this place his home.

He worked for both Pepsi Cola and Coca Cola before his retirement in 2007. He enjoyed his work and all the people he met along the way. If you asked him his favorite part of his job it was always the customers.

He was man of strong faith and a devout Catholic. He took great joy in praying the rosery, going to church, and being a member of the Knights of Colombus. He served in several roles as a Knight, most notably as district deputy. It was during this time that he helped start the Knight of Colombus chapter at Our Lady of the Black Hills, something that he was very proud of. He spent many years serving Thanksgiving dinner to those in need and helping man the Knight of Colombus snack shack at the Central States Fair. In addition to Knight of Colombus, he was a proud member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and the Cursillo group.

His greatest joy in life was his family. He was blessed with two "wonderful daughters" Mary and Lannese, as well as five grandchildren. Lanny enjoyed spending time with family and friends, many friends who became like family.

If you needed someone to pray for you, a listening ear, or just a good hug, Lanny was always there. He loved to tell jokes and share good conversations. He loved to tell stories, many of them of his younger years and the fun things he used to do.

Lanny is survived by his daughters, Mary (Udaysankar) Nair of Harvest, AL, Lannese (David) Purtell of Rapid City, SD, grandchildren Suman Nair, Surya Nair, Elijah Purtell, Noah Purtell, and Gabriela Purtell, twin sister Lana Callen (Norman), brothers Clayton (Cherilyn) Myers and Mike (Shari) Anderson, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents Elise and Arthur, his grandparents, and many close friends.

Lanny's family would like to thank several members of the healthcare community for not only giving him a long, healthy life but also for the joy they brought to him. A special thank you to the staff at Interim Health Care, namely nurse Ravonna and aide Kayla, Peggy Jansen CNP, Tandis Hoffman PA, Dr. Nemeh and the entire Black Hills VA staff, Dr. Hernandez, Jessica Tvedt CNP, and the heart failure team at Monument Health, and all those who cared for Lanny in his final weeks on earth at Monument Health.

In lieu of flowers please consider carrying on Lanny's kind and caring nature by donating to a charity of your choice.

"Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever" Psalm 23:6

A vigil will be held at 6:30 pm on September 11, 2025, at Cathedral

Vigil will be held September 11, 2025, at 630 pm at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cathedral (corner of 5th and Cathedral Drive in Rapid City).

Funeral mass with luncheon will take place on September 12, 2025 at 10 am at the church. Graveside services will follow at 1:30 pm at Black Hills National Cemetery in Sturgis.