Slain Guard Had Spoken Often of Dying : Shooting: Before being gunned down last week, Brinks worker Dennie Plese warned of the perils of his job, family members recall.

If Dennie Plese had been able to speak to the gunman who ambushed him outside a Beverly Hills bank, he would probably be alive today, family members believe.

The Valencia resident was a witty, athletic man with 38 years of experience as a Brinks armored car guard who had survived two other robberies along his route during the past six months.

“He had a way of putting people at ease,” said Lori Retig, his daughter.

Plese, 60, was shot and killed Tuesday morning as he delivered bags of money to the Manufacturers Bank branch at 9701 Wilshire Blvd. It was his first stop of the day.

The gunman, who escaped with an undisclosed amount of money, reportedly lay in wait and shot Plese in the back of the head as he entered the lobby.

The daylight shooting in Beverly Hills surprised many, but Plese himself was very aware of the dangers surrounding his job.

During a trip to Las Vegas last summer, one of the regular getaways Plese took there to spend time with family, he spoke pointedly with his daughter and her husband about what to do in the event of his death. Plese predicted then he would probably die on the job someday, but was reluctant to give up the position due to financial considerations, said son-in-law Doug Retig.

“We talked to him several times at length about retirement, about the danger,” said Doug Retig. “He just couldn’t retire.”

Two days before the shooting, after returning from a vacation, Plese joked he would be killed when he returned to work, Doug Retig said.

Much of Plese’s 38-year career with Brinks was spent as a driver, sitting behind a bullet-proof enclosure, but Plese began working as a messenger in 1984 because the job paid more. During the robbery Tuesday, Plese’s partner was in the armored truck--unaware of the shooting until told by a witness, according to authorities.

There are no suspects, said Lt. Frank Salcido of the Beverly Hills Police Department. The gunman is described as white, in his early 30s, between 5 feet, 9 inches and 5 feet, 10 inches tall, with black hair and a black mustache. He has a long, narrow face, a medium build and was wearing a dress shirt, tie and dark pants.

Unknown to family members until after his death, this was the third time Plese had been robbed in the past six months, Lori Retig said. His reactions in those encounters show he would have cooperated and survived this robbery if only the gunman had given him a chance, they believe.

“If this guy had said to my dad, ‘Give me the money, man,’ my dad would’ve said, ‘Do you want my watch, too?’ ” Lori Retig said. “My dad easily would have done something quick-witted.”

In one earlier incident, a man wielding a gun approached Plese and told him to drop the money he was carrying and then run away. Plese dropped the bag of money, but refused to run, saying he had a bad heart. The gunman fled with the money.

Plese headed off violence in the second incident when he saw two men with weapons approaching him. He quickly sat down on the pavement, holding the bags of money out in front of him. The robbers took the bags and left him unmolested.

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Dennie Plese was born in Marion, Ill., but grew up in Burbank. He served in the Marine Corps from 1951 to 1953, working mostly as an MP despite--at 5 feet, 4 inches tall--being the shortest man in his unit.

His height precluded a career with the sheriff’s department, but after brief stints working in a bakery and as a car salesman, Plese joined Brinks. While living in Burbank he met his future wife, Loretta, and they later moved to Sunland, where they lived for 17 years.

The Pleses moved to Valencia in 1977, drawn to the community when their daughter and son-in-law began looking for a home there.

Plese enjoyed a healthy lifestyle that included jogging and active participation in the Newhall Tennis Club.

Plese was an avid science fiction fan, enjoyed classical music and stressed the importance of education to his daughter, Lori, and son, Charles.

“He never wanted us to settle for anything less,” Lori Retig said.

Plese will be cremated and his ashes will be spread in the mountains in deference to his love of camping, she said.