Robert Hendrickson

Robert W. Hendrickson, Indianapolis, died on August 10, 12 days after celebrating his 98th birthday with family and friends.

Bob attended IPS School #66, Arsenal Technical High School and Butler University. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1945-1946 and 1951-1952, making him a veteran of both WWII and the Korean conflict. He spent time in both Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, where he decommissioned ships, and Sasebo, Japan.

Bob married Mary Dien Pierre in 1957. During most of his career he worked in the purchasing division of Detroit Diesel Allison, retiring in 1985. He grew up in a house on Winthrop Ave. behind the Indiana State Fairgrounds and loved watching the Monon trains pass by his bedroom window. As an adult, he was an avid model railroader, amassing a large collection of the toy trains he had always coveted as a child and building an impressive European-style train layout in the family’s basement. He had a knack for fixing things and was proud of the fact that he usually could repair cars, plumbing, and electrical issues without assistance. He loved tinkering with his 1957 Mercedes and his 1973 MG convertible.

Bob’s retirement years were spent traveling, hunting for antiques, dining at his favorite restaurants, and relaxing on the beach at Macatawa, Michigan. He loved cats, savoring a gin martini with blue-cheese olive, jazz, Frank Sinatra, watching CNN and PBS, reading The New York Times, and supporting Planned Parenthood and animal rescue organizations.

He is survived by his daughter, Lisa Hendrickson (John Whalen) of Indianapolis, his son, Peter Hendrickson, of Paso Robles, CA, and his niece, Leslie Ceder (Doug Durante), of Lenox, MA. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Dien Hendrickson, and later, by his longtime partner, Jean Rich, as well as his sister, Marjorie Ceder. Grateful thanks to the caring staff at Traditions at North Willow, where he lived since 2022, and AccentCare hospice services. A private memorial event will be held at a later date. Donations in Bob’s memory can be made to FACE Low Cost Animal Clinic in Indianapolis or the Indianapolis Humane Society.