John R. Henterly

1920 - 2018

Henterly, John R.
1920 - 2018
John Richard Henterly, 97, died peacefully at his home in Dublin on April 4, 2018. John "Jack" was the second of seven sons born to Willis Wilbur and Clara O'Harra Henterly. Jack is preceded in death by his parents, brothers Bill, Jim, Dick, Bob and Paul and his son-in-law Ranjit Gupta. He is survived by his wife of 74 years, Mary Barbara (Plageman) Henterly of Dublin; brother, Ted, Akron; children, Nancy Gupta, Akron; Eileen (Larry) Fisher, Corpus Christi, Texas; Patricia Feerick, Columbus; Mary Barbara Henterly (Doug Vanscoy) Tacoma, Washington; Thomas (Nancy) Upper Arlington and Judith (Bruce) Jones, Upper Arlington; 18 grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. Jack grew up in Columbus and Cleveland before his family settled in Akron. He met the love of his life, Barb Plageman, in the North Hill neighborhood of Akron where they both attended St. Martha Catholic grade school. Jack graduated from North High School in Akron in 1938, where he excelled at cross country running. Jack and Barb were married at St. Martha's Church in 1943, which was the beginning of their long and happy life together. Jack enlisted in the United States Army in 1942 during World War II and attended Officer Candidate School, later being promoted to 1st Lieutenant. After training as an Intelligence Officer, Jack volunteered to serve in the infantry. Jack was assigned to the 30th (Old Hickory) Infantry Division as a replacement officer after D-Day and remained with the division from July 1944 to the end of the war. He saw action in France, Belgium, The Netherlands and Germany as an infantry platoon leader. He crossed the Rhine River with his division in March of 1945 as Allied forces began the final push to defeat Nazi Germany. He earned the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart among other awards for his service, but he was most proud of his Combat Infantryman Badge. After serving his country with honor and distinction in World War II, Jack attended the Gregg Shorthand School in Chicago where he continued to develop his skills at shorthand and typing. Jack embarked on a career as a court reporter in Detroit and Akron as he and Barb started their family, eventually having five daughters and one son. Jack reached the pinnacle of his profession when he became an Official Reporter of Debates in the United States House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. Jack retired from the House of Representatives in 1983 and he and Barb moved to German Village in Columbus where they lived for more than 25 years on Mohawk Street. They loved to travel internationally and within the United States, as well as spend time with their ever growing family. While living in German Village Jack and Barb were members of St. Mary's Catholic Church. Jack was a voracious reader and a lifelong student of history. He had an innate ability to analyze situations and develop reasoned and pragmatic solutions to any problem. He loved to challenge his children and to debate current issues or the pros and cons of historical and political figures and events. Jack enjoyed keeping up with the activities and accomplishments of his grandchildren and great grandchildren, always concerned about their success and happiness in life. His broad knowledge, his humor and his knack for telling a story made him an unusually engaging person. Knowing Jack was a special privilege and a blessing - he will be missed and always remembered. Family will receive friends on Sunday, April 8 from 1-4 pm at the Rutherford Funeral Home at Powell, 450 West Olentangy Street, Powell, Ohio. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Brigid of Kildare Catholic Church, 7179 Avery Road, Dublin, Ohio 43017 on Monday, April 9 at 11 am. Interment will follow at a later date at Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery. Requiescat in pace. To send an online condolence please visit www.rutherfordfuneralhomes.com