Steve Henrich

Stephen Wayne Henrich was born in Denver on April 28, 1945 and died at Porter Hospital in Denver on March 7, 2024 after a six month battle with esophageal/stomach cancer. He was the oldest child of Val John Henrich and Mildred LaVon Honeycutt. He spent his early years in north Denver, and the family moved to Littleton when he was in junior high. He attended Grant Junior High and Euclid Junior High and graduated from Littleton High School in 1963. He played football and basketball in high school and worked part time at the Green Spot Nursery. His love of plants, shrubs and flowers endured throughout his life, as did his love of sports.
He attended the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley for two years, but dropped out after marrying and having a son, Jeff Henrich, in 1965. He was divorced in 1980. He began working for Western Electric during summers from college and then transitioned to full time at Mountain Bell, later U.S. West. He spent 35 years at the phone company and retired in 1999 at age 54. He began a part time job with a realtor in 2005 and enjoyed working with homeowners for 15 years, until 2020 when he permanently retired due to the covid scare.
After attending his 20 year reunion for Littleton High School in 1983, he got reacquainted and married LHS 1963 classmate Sharie Hulet. They celebrated 40 years of marriage in October, 2023. They were both active on the reunion committee, helping to plan events every five years since 1983, including their 60 year reunion in August, 2023. Steve loved seeing old friends and reminiscing, at reunions as well as occasional lunches with local friends. He enjoyed the regular committee meetings as much as the reunions.
Steve and Sharie loved attending Bears and Rockies baseball games, Nuggets basketball games, Broncos football games and various professional and youth hockey games. They also regularly went to events at DCPA, including plays, Denver Symphony and ballet performances, as well as trips to Vail and Las Vegas.
Upon marriage to Sharie, Steve became stepfather to her two sons, Dan and Rob Parks. They enjoyed fishing trips to his favorite spot in the Colorado mountains near Buford, staying in cabins and riding horses. The boys also attended many sporting events with the family. Steve also loved to build and renovate and had a workshop with tools and equipment worthy of a Home Depot. He also could do plumbing and electrical when needed, and taught the boys a lot.
When Dan and Rob started their families, Steve became a great father-in-law and grandfather. He loved to babysit and to attend baseball, basketball and lacrosse games when the little guys played. He loved to host big family gatherings, birthday parties, cookouts, Christmas dinners and LHS reunion get-togethers.
Steve quit drinking and joined AA in 1984 and stayed sober for 39 years. He had a series of health problems over the past 20 years, including COPD, prostate cancer, knee replacement, abdominal aortic aneurysm, oral cancer, and finally esophageal/stomach cancer. He fought hard and bounced back from all except the last.
Steve had an offbeat sense of humor and kept it throughout his life. He has been affectionately referred to as "a crusty old guy." He was a wonderful husband, a loving and caring father, stepfather and grandfather, and a devoted son and friend. He will remain in our hearts forever and will be sadly missed by all who knew him.
Steve was preceded in death by his parents, Val and LaVon Henrich, his little sister Susie, and his stepmother, Marcheta Henrich. He is survived by his wife, Sharie, stepson Dan Parks, daughter-in-law Sarah Parks, grandsons Court, Wesley and Wyatt Parks; stepson Rob Parks, daughter-in-law Angela Parks, grandsons Jacob, Will and Christian Parks; and his son Jeff Henrich, daughter-in-law Shannon Henrich, grandson Gage Henrich, granddaughter Gretta Henrich Thompson, her husband Tate Thompson and two great grandchildren, Sloane and Sutton Thompson.
A Memorial Service will be held on Tuesday, April 30, at 2:00 p.m. in The Grove at Mission Hills Church, 620 South Park Drive, Littleton, CO 80120, with reception following in the lobby.
All-States Cremation - Centennial