Michael Anthony Henkel, beloved husband, father, brother, grandfather, and great grandfather went to be with the Lord, passing away peacefully on Wednesday, January, 15th.
Mike to friends, and Mick/Mickey to family, born March 26, 1930 in Bridgeport, CT, was pre-deceased by his parents Michael Aloysious Henkel and Victoria Check Henkel, and his beloved wife MaryLou. He is survived by their three wonderful children David & Lisa Henkel of Albany, NY, Susan & Gilford Martino of Endwell, NY and John & Michele Henkel of Endicott, NY; 6 fantastic grandchildren Bryce & Brayden Henkel, Kelsey & Chase Martino, Amanda & Adam Henkel , 3 great grandchildren Caleb & Leo Martino and Jedidiah Henkel Preston, three dearly cherished siblings; William Henkel of Bellevue, WA, Raymond Henkel of Denver, CO and Maureen and Robert Hofinger of West Lafayette, IN; and by many nephews, niece, and cousins who he thought of often. In death, as in life, he was surrounded by the love of his family and good friends.
Michael had many fond memories of growing up in Bridgeport and on Long Island, NY where he attended St. Augustine’s High School. As a young man, Michael attended Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY and graduated from General Motors Institute, (now Kettering University) Flint, MI, with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He volunteered for 2 years of Army Ordnance from 1954-1956. During his service he became a member of the 2nd Army Rifle and Pistol Team. The culmination of his experience brought him to Camp Perry, OH where he participated in the Rifle & Pistol Matches of 1955. He was a devoted and faithful servant to God and often Lector and Eucharistic Minister at St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in Endwell, NY, where he was a member since 1964. One of his favorite pastimes was teaching and maintaining computers, and was a founding member of Southern Tier Senior Net in 1996, whom he volunteered with until its closure in 2012. Michael retired from IBM in 1987 after 31 years, having worked in Printer Development for most of his career and a stint in Power Supply Development.
He loved gardening, woodworking, computers and discovering his family roots. In his younger days he enjoyed fishing, hunting and running. He was a clever guy with the ability to solve problems and repair whatever needed to be done. Most of all he was a devoted family man who dearly loved his family & friends.
His children learned how to be self-sufficient adults, and through his subtle teachings in life, instilled within his children the virtues of responsibility, loyalty, spirituality, and integrity.
He always welcomed everybody with a smile and a hug, and always had a corny joke to share on a moments notice. He had an incredible sense of humor. He will be dearly missed. A funeral mass will be celebrated Friday, 11:30 AM at St. Joseph's Church, 207 Hayes Ave, Endicott. Burial will follow at Calvary Cemetery. The family will receive friends at St. Josephs Church from 10 AM until time of service at 11:30 AM.
