Richard Herbert Henkle

Richard Herbert Henkle was born on May 3, 1965, in London, Ohio and at the age of 61, he passed away peacefully in the early morning of September 22, 2026, in Fort Collins, Colorado. He was the fourth child of six to Robert Henkle and Anacarolyn Justice.

Richard’s childhood was spent on the family dairy farm in London, Ohio with his siblings John, James (Jimmy), Kenny, David, and Mary. He loved spending time with his grandmother Clairiette, who also lived at the farm. In high school he was an avid wrestler, swimmer, and enjoyed golfing. Richard had a strong desire to attend the United States Military Academy West Point and serve his country. Because of this passion, he attended Boys State where he met with the Governor of Ohio and received a letter of recommendation for West Point in the Army.

Richard quickly became curious about religion during his first year of college, and because of a roommate and friend, he decided to become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. At the age of 19 he was called to serve a 2-year mission in Colombia and Ecuador. While spreading the teachings of the gospel, he met Marcia Alarcón. Soon after returning from his mission, he graduated from West Point, with his Bachelor’s degree in Engineering and Foreign Area Studies and the two were married in 1989 in Maryland. Shortly after, they had two children, Grace and Kevin, moved around from Kentucky, North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, and Louisiana, and he served active duty in the Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm). Richard ranked up to 1st Lieutenant in the Army. Shortly after they separated, and Richard moved on to his next adventure.

In 1994, Richard was driving through Williston, North Dakota where he happened to stop for groceries and met his second wife, Laurie Hatch. They bonded over a shared interest in the religion and were married in 1995. Over their 15 years of marriage, they moved from North Dakota, Idaho, South Dakota, and Wyoming and had six children: Anna, Alexander, Rachel, Sarah, Rebecca, and Heath. He was always very generous and giving to others. He created his own business called Western Water Service to help families who were in need of water and delivered it to their homes. Since he grew up on a dairy farm, he also had a love for animals and started taking care of his own cows, goats, and crops. With a photographic memory, he was able to learn four languages throughout his life; English, Spanish, German, and Aarabic, which assisted him when he worked on various wind farms in Indiana, Washington, and California.

Richard loved to travel and enjoyed visiting the countries he visited during his church mission. He met his third wife Lorena and lived with her in Columbia until they separated.

During his last years, he focused on spending time with his children. He often talked about the best parts of his life were when he could spend time with the eight of them.

Richard is preceded in death by his grandparents Clariette and Howard Henkle, his parents Robert Henkle and Anacarolyn Justice, his brothers John, Jimmy, and David. He is survived by his brother Kenny, his sister Mary, many nieces and nephews, and all of his children. Richard’s ceremony and burial will be on October 7, 2026, at 1:00 PM at the Fort Logan military cemetery.