Denny J. Bixler (November 1, 1940 – June 19, 1981) was an American politician who served as a Democratic member of the

Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts. It ...

. Following his legislative career, he became a radio station owner and executive.

Formative years and family

Born in

Johnstown, Pennsylvania Johnstown is the largest city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 18,411 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located east of Pittsburgh, it is the principal city of the Metropolitan statistical area ...

on November 1, 1940, Bixler attended the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The university is composed of seventeen undergraduate and graduate schools and colle ...

. Married to Beverly (Bainbridge) Bixler, he was the father of two.

Public service career

In 1968, Bixler was elected as a Democrat to the Pennsylvania House of Representative in a

Special Election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, or a bypoll in India, is an election used to fill an office that has become vacant between general elections. A vacancy may arise as a result of an incumben ...

, and represented Blair County. He was reelected and served three additional terms. In 1974, he ran for a seat in the

Pennsylvania State Senate The Pennsylvania State Senate is the upper house of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Pennsylvania state legislature. The State Senate meets in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. Senators are elected for four-year terms, stagger ...

, but was defeated by

Robert Jubelirer Robert C. Jubelirer (born February 9, 1937, Altoona, Pennsylvania) is a Republican political leader in Pennsylvania. He served as a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate from 1975 to 2006. He served as President pro tempore of the Pennsylvan ...

Radio career

Following his departure from the Pennsylvania Legislature, Bixler became the owner and general manager of WVAM Radio in Altoona. He subsequently became the general manager of WJAC Radio in

, after selling WVAM.

Illness, death and interment

Bixler died from

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

-related complications at the Altoona Hospital (now UPMC Altoona) in

Altoona, Pennsylvania Altoona ( ) is a city in Blair County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 43,963 at the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Altoona Metropolitan statistical area, metropolitan area, w ...

on June 19, 1981."Well Known Denny Bixler Dies of Cancer," ''The Daily News'', June 20, 1981.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bixler, Denny Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives 1940 births 1981 deaths Deaths from cancer in Pennsylvania 20th-century members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly