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Don Henckel Obituary

Don Kenneth Henckel passed away peacefully on Saturday January 18, 2014 at the age of 73. He was born September 3, 1940 in Houston, Texas to George Charles Henckel, Jr. from Hitchcock, TX and Nellie Mae Reifschneider from Temple, TX. He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. Don graduated from Regan High School and received his Dental Degree from the University of Texas Dental Branch in Houston. He served as a Captain in the United States Army until being honorably discharged in March of 1968, at which time he opened his private dental practice.
Don is preceded in death by his 3 brothers: George Edward, Carroll, and Robert. He is survived by his wife Patricia, his children; Shauna Ray and Eric Henckel, and his 4 grandchildren; Maddison, Lexie, Kailie, and Carter.
Visitation will be held on Monday January 27, from 5 P.M. to 8 P.M. Funeral services will be held in the Chapel of Memorial Oaks Funeral Home 13001 Katy Freeway Houston, Texas 77079 at 12:30 P.M. on Tuesday January 28, 2014.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Houston Chronicle on Jan. 26, 2014.

Memories and Condolences
for Don Henckel

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Lisa Hall

February 27, 2014

I was so very sad to hear of Dr Henckel's
passing. My deepest sympathy to the Henckel family and all of the office staff. Dr Henckel was my friend and dentist for the last 29 years I will truly miss him. As a healthcare professional he is what we all aspire to be kind, compassionate, funny. I hope the Henckel family finds comfort in knowing how much Dr Henckel was loved.

Catherine Gay

February 25, 2014

So very many years, so very many memories graciously shared with one impossible to replace. The consummate professional, the dearest friend! I do not believe we ever say goodbye, just farewell for a time! Our deepest sympathy, love and prayers go out to the entire Henckel family. May you find great comfort in each other and this extended family.

Kingsley Isiguzo

February 21, 2014

Dr Don Henckel was more than a dentist to me. He was more like a friend and a man I could trust. Since I met him, I have refused to see any other dentist. I fly from out of town and take off work for days just to remain loyal to his practice. He is very accommodating, and values his patients more than money. He ran his practice like no other and I always enjoyed visiting the dental office something that I never knew was possible until I met him. He truly had human compassion and never got upset about anything. The world has lost a good man, the perfect dentist and a friend at large. We will miss him!

Peggy and Claudia Read

February 20, 2014

To Dr. Henckel's family and extended staff family, I was so very sad and shocked to hear of Dr. Henckel's unexpected death. The last time I saw him he was off to Italy with his wife, and I hope that it was a truly wonderful trip for both. He really was an exceptional and special human being, and for us, the gentlest, kindest, best dentist for over 30 years. It's hard to imagine the world without him. All our sincerest wishes, thoughts and condolences.

Gail Kirkconnell

February 20, 2014

We were so sad to hear that Dr. Henckle passed away. He was the only dentist I ever had that really understood what a "weenie" I was! He took care of my husband and my twin daughters also. Our deepest condolences to his family and staff. The world is definitely a better place because of him! Sending prayers to all of you.

Darren Brown

February 20, 2014

Dr. Henckel was awesome! He took care of me many times. I will miss him and her services. I appreciate his honesty when other dentist tried to empty my pockets. He was honest and fair with me and my needed work.

Matt Smith

February 18, 2014

I want to offer my sincere sympathy and condolences to Pat, Shauna, Eric, the entire Henckel family and his extended family of Cindy, Jewel and Lillian. I just received the news of Dr. Henkel's passing and couldn't be any sadder at this moment. I met Dr. Henckel while I was an assistant with the Houston Aeros in the first few years and had the opportunity to work side by side with him on game nights. In fact I felt so confident in him, he became my primary dentist. When I found out he was a fellow Bearkat, I was positive that I made the right decision. Dr. Henckel was and will always be one of the friendliest, most professional, kind hearted people I have ever met. His practice and office staff are a reflection of his philosophy and personality. He ALWAYS treated me with respect, a smile and a handshake. Whenever I was in the hygienist chair, he ALWAYS made time to come by and talk to me whether it was just to say hello, talk photography or talk hockey. I always enjoyed seeing the pictures on his walls and hearing the stories of the new places he had been to. Even today, when I take a picture, I think of the advice he gave me about photography- “Sometimes it's not the object or person you are taking a picture of, it's what's behind that picture that's the story.” He always had great advice! I ALWAYS tell people that Dr. Henckel is responsible for my AWESOME SMILE! When I needed to have my teeth straightened and orthodontic work with appliances, I used to joke with him that I brought him out of orthodontic retirement because my teeth were so “jacked up” and then I put him back into retirement because I exhausted him with all the work that went into it. He would always laugh and politely disagree with the last part. My heart breaks for all of the Henckel family and I am so sorry for your loss. Dr. Henckel will be truly missed by me and everyone that had the privilege of knowing him! God Bless!

Linda Hargrove

February 18, 2014

Saddened to learn Dr Henckel has passed. He was my dentist over 20 years. I completely agree with other comments a very professional, gentle, caring, man and dentist. I will miss him.

Margie & Quincy Canada

February 18, 2014

We are very sadden by the news of the loss of Dr. Henckel. Our deepest sympathy to his family and staff. He was my dentist for over 30 years. He will be dearly missed.

Gayle Hanks

February 18, 2014

I just found out that Dr. Henckel passed away. My sympathies to his family, his staff, and his many, many friends. It is certainly a loss for us all - he was such a fabulous, caring, giving, loving,(and on and on and on) person that we were all truly blessed to have him in our lives. What a top-notch gentleman and superbly talented dentist. He will be missed by many, and remembered by us all.

Hedwiga Weatherford

February 17, 2014

My sympathy to the entire Henckel family on the passing of a truly beautiful person. From reading the other messages here, I realize that I was a newbie to his family since I'd only been seeing him for 10 years. I too looked forward to seeing his newest additions to his photography collections on the walls of his office. He visited placed I never even dreamed of, so it was a joy to see his photos. The world is a sadder place because he is gone, but the angels in heaven are rejoicing at his arrival. A wonderful, wonderful man.

Barbara Snider

February 16, 2014

I am so very sorry to hear of Dr. Henckel's passing. Dr. Henckel was our family dentist for three generations starting in 1974. He is and will be sadly missed. It was our honor to know and to be cared for by Dr. Don! Heaven has gained what we have lost, a most exceptional caring human being. Our condolences to the Henckel family. Barbara, John, & Rebecca Snider

Yana Finkelshteyn

February 15, 2014

My sincerest condolences to the Henckel family, his friends, staff and patients. Dr. Henckel took care of three generations of our family for nearly 30 years. He was the best dentist and also an outstanding human being. He had our full trust and confidence. He made patients feel like family. I always looked forward to seeing his beautiful photographs when I came to the office. He was always advancing always learning something new, perfecting his skills, a true role model. We miss you Dr. Henckel, and are so grateful to you for taking care of us!

Evgeniya Eager

February 15, 2014

Dr. Henckel was our family doctor from the day we moved to Houston. Still shocked to hear that he is not with us any more. He was such a great dentist: patient, caring, knowledgable. I always enjoyed pictures that he took during his trips to exotic places. We will surely miss him a lot.... our sincere condolences to his family.

Denise Howard

February 15, 2014

The greatest dentist who ever lived , I felt like a part of the family in every visit I made , Dr Henckle never failed me when I needed his services over 20 years . He was compassionate & professional in all he did I know he loved his family . My prayers are with you all. May God give you the strenght to move forward .

Faye Fields

February 15, 2014

To the Henckel Family and Staff, I was so shocked and sorry to hear of Dr. Henckel's passing today. He was my dentist for 45 years and did wonderful work. He will be hard to replace and I will miss him.

Tim McCully

February 14, 2014

I was shocked to hear of Don's passing since I had seen him a couple of days before. For those of you that knew Don, I am sure you will agree that the world is less due to his passing. Don was one of the few people that I trusted due to his concern for my well being. Thanks, Don for your service as a dentist and friend over the years. All of us will miss you.

Tracy Bunker

February 13, 2014

I was so sorry to learn today of the passing of Dr. Henckel. He was my dentist for over 20 years and such a personable, kind, gentle, and soft-spoken man. He seemed so passionate about his work as well as his photography and amazing travels. Dr. Henckel, you will be missed by so many. My sincere condolences to the entire family at this time of sorrow.

Jonathan Reed

February 13, 2014

Don was a great man and a great dentist. Don took care of my dental needs for 34 years and was a caring and compassionate professional. He will be missed by many.

Meredyth Hayes-Badreau

February 12, 2014

To the Henckel Family, my whole family went to Dr. Henckel. I'd been seeing him for over 20 years. He will be so deeply missed. I loved his work (his muscle testing) his stories, photos and everything about my experience with this lovely man. My sincere condolences to you during this time..

Debbie Dorsey

February 1, 2014

My deepest condolences to the family and staff. I worked for Dr. Henckel from 1981 to 1995. He was a great employer, teacher, and friend. I know he will be greatly missed

Annette and the savre family savre

January 31, 2014

im so sorry to hear about doctor Henckel,he is our dentist to our family for over 30 yrs our thoughts and prayer are with his family

Robin Ly

January 30, 2014

To the Henckel Family and Staff. I was so glad to have had such a wonderful Doctor who cared for me and my family. I am so sad to know that he is no longer with us but he will always have a good place in my family's hearts. He was very kind and gentle and hardworking and our prayers go out to the Good doctor and You All.

Wendy Hale

January 30, 2014

To the Henckel family and staff, my deepest condolences. He will be greatly missed, he was our doctor for over 10 years and felt like family to us. I have never had a doctor so patient and kind as him. I'll always remember his office filled with beautiful photos from his travels and the care and comfort I would receive. He helped me through my braces, wisdom teeth removal, and tmj, and made all of these experiences as painless as possible. I don't think any other kids were nearly as excited as I was to see the dentist! Dr. Henckel, I will miss you, thank you for your years of service.

Faye Simien

January 29, 2014

To the Henckel family! My prayers are with you at this difficult time. Dr. Henckel was my dentist, and I will deeply miss him. Every time I would go to see him, he always made me feel so relaxed and comfortable. I just found out this morning and it still doesnt seem like he is gone, my heart was sadden by such shocking news. Dr. Henckel was the best dentist anyone could've had. I can remember times when he was working on my mouth, he would ask me if I was ok. His blankets are nice and warm just the way Dr. Henckel was. I will miss you Dr. Henckel.

Annette Seaback

January 29, 2014

My prayers and condolences to the Henckel family during this time of great loss. Dr. Henckel was the greatest dentist and he always made me laugh with his witty sense of humor. I will miss him. Heaven is so much sweeter now.

Debbie Anhaiser

January 29, 2014

My deepest sympathy and prayers to Dr. Henckel's family. As we lose our loved ones we tend to believe death has won but know it hasn't as LOVE is STRONGER and as long as we keep their memories in our hearts they will live forever.

Sheena Childs

January 29, 2014

My sincerest condolences to the Henckel family and staff. I was a new patient and I am forever grateful for his grace and willing to bend over backwards to work with me. He was always so welcoming, patient and kind. Thank you for serving our county and touching so many lives. He will be missed.

Jada LaMont

January 28, 2014

My prayers are with you during this very difficult time. Don was a very special man and a good friend to David and I for close to 40 years. I will miss him.

January 28, 2014

What an honor and a privilege it has been to know Dr. Henckel. As many others have shared, he was not only our dentist, he was our friend. We are deeply saddened by his passing, and already miss him greatly. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and office staff. God bless! Karl and Karen Witherow Houston, TX

Robin Roger

January 28, 2014

My sincerest condolences to the Henckel family. Dr. Henckel was not only my dentist for the past 30 years, but he was a friend of the family for 40 years. He will be greatly missed.

Henry Gray

January 28, 2014

An outstanding human being and the greatest dentist.He will be sorely missed.Knowing him enriched my life. Condolences to the family!

J McGee

January 27, 2014

I started seeing Dr.Henckel in 1989 and my wife in 1992. He was a marvelous dentist and an extremely nice and friendly man who went out of his way to help me.. I was shocked to hear of his passing. The world has lost a wonderful man and we will miss him very much.

J McGee.

January 27, 2014

May God Bless the entire family at this difficult time. May God grant you all the strength you need to carry on. Remember all the good times you shared and those memories will give you comfort and peace.

DDS. Don Henckel made you feel like family. He never wanted you in pain. I will always remember "keneology" test. I have shared that test with many of my friends. I will always remember his photos and his stories.

love,
Annie Angel

Olivia Boone

January 27, 2014

My sincere condolences and heartfelt prayers go out to the family. I am honored to be a patient for the past 3.5 years. Dr. Henckel made going to the dentist enjoyable. He will be greatly missed. R.I.P. Dr. Henckel

Richard Jones

January 27, 2014

I have know Don Henckel for many years. I stated doing dental appliances for him in the late sixties and continued to do orthodontic appliances for him for over 40 years. He was a great dentist and cared about his patients.
He was my friend. I will miss him.

Jada LaMont

January 27, 2014

My prayers are with you during this very difficult time. Don was a very special man and a good friend to David and I for close to 40 years. I will miss him.

January 27, 2014

Dr.Don Henckel is a great expert in the field of dentistry. I was with three other dentists before I met him due to many dental concerns and issues. I was a big problem but after the initial meeting in 1988, I knew right away that Dr.Henckel is my dentist. He is very professional, kind, humble and a great listener.He became not only our family dentist but also a loving friend!Every dental visit is a friendly encounter! We love him!Mrs. Pat, Shauna and the rests of your family, we wish to express our deepest sympathy. May the loving hands of God comfort and strengthen you all at this difficult moments.We thank you all for sharing Dr. Henckel with us!

Jack & Shelly Willis

January 27, 2014

Our deepest sympathy to his family and to the girls in the office. He was not only our dentist for 20 yrs but also our friend. He was always there for us when we had problems. He will be dearly missed.

The Ragsdale Family - John, Mary Ellen, Georgia, Laura plus Judy & Vincent

January 27, 2014

Like so many, Dr. Henkel was my family's dentist for 40+ years. Seeing him (and Shauna) was like going to visit dear friends. I am so sad to hear of his passing, I send love and comforting thoughts to his family.

Wanda and Forest Ward

January 27, 2014

I was so sad to here about Dr. Don' s passing. He was a very good dentist and helped me through many serious dental problems, and he was also a wonderful friend. He always had a smile for anyone who went thru his door. He will be so missed--- my heart goes out to his wife,Pat, whom he always spoke so fondly of and his children whom he was so proud of. Please know that there are many people sharing your grief. God bless you all.

Yadira Mosqueda

January 27, 2014

We are very saddened by the news of the loss of Dr. Henckel. He's been our family dentist for well over 10 years now. We will miss him dearly. The quality of work and bed side manners he had are unreplaceable. May his soul rest in peace. Prayers to his family during this time of grief.
Mosqueda Family

Wanda. And Forest Ward

January 27, 2014

Dr. Henckel was a great dentist and a wonderful friend. What will I do without him? He was so kind and gentle when there was dentistry work to be done and a lot of fun when it was over. He always had a smile for anyone who came in his door. He will be missed by many people. My heart goes out to his wife,Pat, whom he always talked so fondly about and his children he was so proud of. He loved people . We will miss him terribly.

Sara Conroy

January 27, 2014

To the Henckel Family and Dr Henckel's office family. My heartfelt sympathies to each of you. He was a kind and gentle man and a wonderful dentist for me of 27 years. He always had a story about a past trip or one coming up. Fantastic photographer too. What a treasure that he was able to do so much in his private and professional life and touched so many people. I'm honored to have known him.

Jill Marquart

January 27, 2014

I have been a patient of Dr. Henckel's for over 40 years. The only dentist I have ever been too. The only dentist my kids have ever been too. We are very saddened. Thoughts and prayers with his family. He will be missed.

The Marquart Family - Jill,Vince,Taylor and Cooper
The Enos Family - Dana and Lois

Raelynn Andrew

January 26, 2014

Dr. Henckel did the majority of dental work to my teeth. He also took care of my brothers teeth. He even worked on my moms dentures. He was a very kind man. The smiles in Heaven will be a little brighter now that he is there. Dr. You will be greatly missed. Lord let the Angels surround his family with love at this sad time in their lives. Wrap their arms around them and give them the strength they need to get thru the loss of their loving Husband, Dad and grandfather.

January 26, 2014

He was a loving friend first and a trusted doctor second. I watched as he raised 2 amazing children. He was a great story teller, always willing to talk about one of his many adventures. He will be forever missed.

Jackie, Charles, Amy, Amy and Landon Heise

January 26, 2014

To the Henckel Family, please accept our deepest symphathies. Don was a wonderful man and dentist treating our family for over 40 years. He had such a kind way about him and will always remember for his gentle touch.
The Tollett Family
H.J., Jo Ann, James, Ken, Jeff, Mitch & Paul

Brent Heise

January 26, 2014

Dr Henckel ---far too young and far to talented. He will be sorely missed. His calm professionalism and sense of humor will always be fondly remembered.

The Heise Family---Brent, Aliya and Kamilla

Dorothy Little

January 26, 2014

I was very saddened to hear about Dr. Henckel's passing. I have been a patient for over 25 years. Dr. Henckel was a great dentist and a very kind and gentle man. I was always greeted with a smile. He will be greatly missed. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.

January 26, 2014

It was such a shock to learn of Don's death. He seemed so well and full of life the last visit I had at the office. He was a friend for many years since I first brought my children to him in his office next to Dr. Salmon on Sage Street. We also caught glimpses of each other when we were tennis players at Chancellors. Please accept my heartfelt condolences for such a nice person and good dentist. The family sends deep regrets for his unexpected death. Franz and Marion Segger

Eduardo Morales

January 26, 2014

Dr. Henckel was a genuine, loving man who exemplified professionalism with a touch of humanly nuturing love. He comforted me and my family when we experienced our losses and he was able to make me a laugh. He had a rare gift of touching people's lives and he shalled be missed by my family and many others. May God Bless you always. Eduardo Morales and family (houston, tx)

Angela Tripp

January 26, 2014

I was so sorry to hear about Dr. Henckel's passing.
What a neat man with a kind heart. I know he will truly be missed by so many.
Sending prayers to his family and friends.

Vann and Karol Wilson

January 26, 2014

Dr. Henckel was such a wonderful dentist and man. He treated 3 generations of my family. We all loved himm and will fondly remember this bright and serene man.

Christy Tsaroumis and Family.

January 25, 2014

Dr. Henckel treated two generations of our family. He was so kind and patient with every member. We loved you like our own. Pete Kurmadas our Uncle, was one of your first patients who referred us to you.

I was one of your youngest patients and you will always be in my memory forever! <3 XOXO

RICARDO SOSA

January 25, 2014

Dr. Henckel, a few days after moving to Houston from my home of Buenos Aires, Argentina, your kindness, support and great expertise helped me get through some very unexpected & scary times in my life. And as recently as December and this month, you continued to bring me peace. Thank you for never letting me wait more than 10 minutes!! You'll always be totally awesome, & I know that wherever you are, you're watching over all of your patients. Gracias por todo!

Jean Anne Klewitz

January 25, 2014

I have been a patient for 30 years! It broke my heart to hear of his death. He was an awesome dentist, & always kind. I loved to hear about the places he had been & seeing his photos! I will miss him! Thank you for caring for my family all these years! May God give you peace & beautiful memories, what an amazing man he was! Glad I knew him! Love & blessings to you & your family! Shawna we love you too!

Pat Brister-Talbot

January 25, 2014

Dr. Henckel You will be missed by so many who loved you. Your gentleness, kindness and photographic talent will always be remembered.

Bill Gibbons

January 25, 2014

I was one of Dr. Henkel's earliest patients. He was a tremendous dentist and a friend to me, my children, family and extended family. He will be sorely missed.

Gayla Trevino

January 25, 2014

Dr. Henckel hired me straight out of hygiene school in 1988. I was blessed to work for him 18 years. He will be missed greatly .....He loved photography and we all got to see the places we would never go in the world thru his eyes in his photos...he had a gift of connecting with his subjects.

Julie Hutchison

January 24, 2014

Uncle Don, you were always so kind. You will be missed by everyone who ever had the privilege of knowing you. You lived your dash beautifully! xoxo

Kim Henkhaus

January 24, 2014

Uncle Don was the BEST dentist and most kind, gentle, attentive person I knew. He will be missed by so many! I love you and will miss you very much!!

Peggy Tinsley

January 23, 2014

Dr Henckel was more than my dentist for so many years. He was my friend. I am so very sad. Sad too, that I cannot be at the service as I will be out of town. My love and condolences to his family and his office family.

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