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.On March 20, 2015, Bernard Joseph "Bernie" Henehan of Carmel/Westfield went to be with The Lord Jesus whom he loved and served with all his heart and soul. He was a humble, kind, and thankful man who lived simply and loved abundantly.
Bernie was born on August 30, 1930 to John and Mary (Sheridan) Henehan in Detroit, MI. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Alice (Rust) and their children; Mary Henehan, Dorothy Henehan (Stephen Culbert), Suzanne Meert (Jim), Daniel Henehan (Stacey), Amy Durham (Jeff)and Jen Page (Jon); grandchildren, Hailey and Jenna Meert, Timothy, Rachel and Jacob Bernard Page, Kiley, Jordan and Noelle Henehan, Claire Culbert, Royal and Honor Durham; sisters, Mary Flo Murray and Margaret Bykowski, and many nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Frank, Larry and Vince; his sisters, Catherine and Isabelle and two grandchildren.
He is also survived by the men of the Saturday morning prayer group. These men met weekly at 6:30 am for about 30 years to pray for family, friends and the world.
Bernie was a graduate of St. Gregory HS and the University of Detroit (BS, MBA). He was a member of Alpha Kappa Psi business fraternity. He spent most of his career working in industrial corporate management and accounting. In 1972, he moved to Indiana as Comptroller at ITT Hoffman in Indianapolis. He coordinated the implementation of computerized accounting and inventory processes at many ITT facilities and was an auditor at the end of his career. He also served our country during the Korean Conflict by training other soldiers in signal encryption.
While successful professionally, it was Bernie’s love of the Lord, dedicated work in his church, and his service to the community that defined him. He was a deep believer in the power of prayer. He kept a list of people and prayed for them often. If he knew you, you were prayed for regularly. If you were sick or had a special need you got some extra prayer. He added a mark by their names as they entered glory. His legacy to his family is truly his example of an everyday relationship with the Lord that now lives out in his children and grandchildren.
Bernie traveled throughout the Detroit Archdiocese educating people about the changes resulting from Vatican II. He was also a Eucharistic minister, lector, and member of the adoration group. He was a 42 year member of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church. He served on the parish council and Bible study council. He was a speaker for Life in the Spirit, Christ Renews His Parish and volunteered as an alter server and Eucharistic Minister at St. Vincent's Carmel Hospital until he was 82. He joined in the charitable and devotional work of the Knights of Columbus where he became a 4th degree knight.
Bernie was welled loved by his church family. He mentored new members, visited the sick, served as an adoptive grandparent, was a good friend, and made us laugh with his quick wit and sense of humor. He had a practice of blessing others even in the days before he died.
After his retirement, he also volunteered his accounting services to Church Care Indy (formerly Love Inc.) an agency that served the poor in greater Indianapolis. He served his local community by coaching baseball for the First Baptist League in Indianapolis and CYO football, was president of the Westfield Band Boosters and joined in ecumenical prayer meetings for the first Promise Keepers convention in Indianapolis.
He always loved being outdoors. He golfed since he was eleven, loved to hike with children and grandchildren, played baseball, enjoyed fishing in his little boat and mowing the lawn because it reminded him of working on his uncle’s farm as a boy. If there are jobs in heaven, Bernie is probably a greens keeper. |