BATON ROUGE, LA (FOX44) - Saturday the Theatre community at LSU said goodbye to one of their most loved professors.

LSU Theatre Professor Emeritus John Dennis passed away Friday at his home.

Saturday, Dennis' friends, students, and colleagues gathered to celebrate his professional career which included directing more than 50 productions across the country.

Those who've worked with Dennis say the halls of the Theater Department at LSU won't feel the same.

"This will be a sadder place without J.D., he was a mentor, he was a teacher, he was a wonderful director, he was a funny, funny man," said Cristine McMurdo-Wallace, a friend of Professor Dennis