James M. HENNEBERRY

James M.

"Jim" Henneberry

SPRINGFIELD - James M. "Jim" Henneberry died at Illinois Veterans Home at 12:50 a.m. on Thursday, March 8, 2012. He was born 30 December 1929 in La Salle, Illinois of James N. Henneberry and Catherine L. (Marshall) Henneberry both deceased and lived with his parents in Streator and then moved to Springfield, Illinois in the early 40s when his father was transferred there as District Manager of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. He married Margaret A. (Marge) Drengwitz on 09 December 1965.

He is survived by his wife Margaret (Marge), his brothers Bob (wife Marion) of West Des Moines, Iowa; Tom (wife Gail) of Douglas, Michigan; and sister Jane Ann (husband Bill) Kaelin of Decatur, Illinois. Twelve nieces and nephews throughout the Midwest and many cousins in Illinois, Missouri, California and Texas.

He attended St. Bede's Academy in Peru, Illinois as a freshman and when his family moved to Springfield he attended Cathedral Boys High School his final three years from which he graduated with the Class of 1947. He received his undergraduate degree from St. Ambrose College (now University) in Davenport, Iowa in June 1951 with a BA majoring in Philosophy, English and Speech. He was active as a writer for the College newspaper and yearbook, a member of the Forensic Society, appearing on local radio and television stations. He was a champion debater winning many events against such outstanding institutions as Harvard, Dartmouth, Princeton, and others. He was awarded the special St. Ambrose College Forensics Key for outstanding performance and also was cited in Outstanding Students in Colleges and Universities.

After graduation he was drafted for service in the Army during the Korean War and served on active duty from 18 October 1951 until 17 October 1953 with permanent rank of Corporal and under the provisions of the Universal Military Training Act 8 years in the Army Reserve. He was stationed in Ft. Leonard Wood, Ft. Lawton, Washington and Ft. Lewis, Washington earning the National Defense Service Medal.

Upon discharge he applied for and was hired at WICS channel 20 reporting in October 1953 when the station went on the air with the Baseball World Series doing announcing, commercials for Amrhein Bakery, Reisch Brewery among others and producing and directing various programs. After several years at Channel 20 he moved to Channel 4 KWK in St. Louis and remained there after it was sold to CBS Network and became KMOX-TV for several years. Mr. Henneberry returned to Springfield and WICS at the request of then station manager Milton Friedland in the capacity of Sales Promotion Manager in the late 50s.

About this time in 1960 he helped organize the Springfield Underwater Search and Rescue Team (SUSART) a non-profit organization doing search and rescue operations in the Springfield area and for local, state and federal agencies. He served as Training Officer and Team Commander for many years and authored the Training and Operations Manual for the Team. He was always proud that the Team never had a serious accident due to its training and operations procedures.

Henneberry taught swimming, water safety, and scuba diving teaching candidates for the Illinois State Police basic swimming and water safety at the YMCA for many years every Sunday afternoon. He was one of the first Illinois residents to become certified as a YMCA scuba instructor in the state. In years earlier he taught swimming at the old K of C building and was certified by the Red Cross as a lifeguard at Memorial Pool and Lake Springfield.

He was a life member of the Elks Club 158, member of Knights of Columbus #364, Sir Knight Member of the K of C Fourth Degree and Honor Guard, Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion at Christ the King parish where he was a member since 1970, also an usher and original member of the funeral choir, president of the Holy Name Society and lector. He also was an Escort Team member of the Samaritans of St. John's Hospital and served as lector, extraordinary minister, cantor and sacristan there as well. He served as an extraordinary minister at Memorial Medical Center from the middle 80's to the time he died after retiring. He was also a part-time starter at Pasfield Golf Course for 5 years and another 5 years at Lincoln Greens Golf Course with Jim Sutzer, PGA Golf Professional.

Henneberry joined the Springfield-Sangamon County Regional Planning Commission in 1965 and served there until 1967 administering a variety of civic development projects including the revitalization of the downtown area as well as expansion and upgrading of the Lincoln Home area. In 1967 he was appointed the first City Coordinator by the City Council upon the urging of then Mayor Nelson Howarth with broad management responsibilities similar to a City Manager in a Commission Form of Government to oversee various activities which did not fall within the purview of any commissioner or at their request. He directed such projects as the Horace Mann and St. John's Hospital projects, housing renewal projects, with Chief Suarez the introduction of computers to the city police department, originated and directed the Law Enforcement Action Program for Springfield-Sangamon County (LEAPS), a study designed to achieve greater coordination between all law enforcement agencies, established the local law enforcement police training facility, the police community relations program with the help of officers Church Daughterty, Charles Lockhart, and Larry Simon, neighborhood facilities program, and others including intergovernmental relations assignments.

In 1971 at the request of then Commissioner of City Water, Light and Power John Hunter Henneberry joined the department as Environmental Coordinator with major responsibility to represent the city and the department before federal and state Environment Protection Agencies operating permits concerning smoke stack emissions, water quality and purification standards and other such issues. Henneberry regularly testified before Illinois Pollution Control Board hearings concerning proposed rules on environmental standards.

It was during this period of time when he received his Master's Degree in 1974 from Sangamon State University (now University of Illinois Springfield) in Administration after attending night school for several years under the GI Bill from his former Army service.

He left city employment and stood for election as Commissioner of City Water, Light and Power and was elected in 1975 for a four year term ending in 1979. Henneberry was especially proud of this part of his public service especially his decision to cancel a letter of intent with Illinois Power Company to purchase 10% or 100 magawatts of the Clinton Nuclear power plant at a cost of $100 million dollars which was later purchased by two area Rural Electric Utilities. After running away beyond its estimated construction time ended up costing upwards of 1 Billion dollars from which the federal government ultimately had to bail out the REA's. The second decision he was proud of was the one to do an update of two previous studies showing a need for a second lake water supply. That study completed in 1978 showed no such need until at least the year 2000 and possibly even as late as 2010 unless serious increase in population growth or large industries, none of which has yet occurred. The study recommended reviewing the data at least every five years.

After defeat for election in 1979 which Henneberry blamed on the 1978 huge ice storm he again entered the private sector with the recommendation of Robert Egizii a prominent local electrical contractor and developer and became Executive Vice-President of the Illinois Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association, a nationally affiliated organization with several operating divisions throughout the state. He left NECA in 1990 and became a consultant until being offered another job in the association business in Houston, Texas in 1992 with the National Association of Steel Pipe Distributors, Inc. to help turn it around after some financial problems. Henneberry's original contract was for one-year which was later extended and upon expiration in 1995, retired and returned to Springfield.

Celebration of his life will be held at Christ the King Church where he and his wife have been parishioners since 1970 with Mass of the Resurrection at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, March 16, 2012, with Rev. Charles Hart and Rev. Msgr. David Lantz con-celebrant. Mr. Henneberry will be interred at St. Mary's Parish cemetery in Mt. Vernon, IL in the Henneberry family plot next to his father and mother. The family is being served by Kirlin-Egan & Butler Funeral Home (the officers of which have been long-time friends of the deceased) where wake services will be held from 4:00-7:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 15, 2012. Visitation will begin with a Rosary service at 4:00 p.m.

The family would be pleased, if contributions are to be made, they be made to the Samaritans of St. John's Hospital, 800 E. Carpenter, Springfield, IL 62702 or St. Joseph's Home, 3306 S. 6th St., Springfield, IL 62703 (or the charity of their choice), in lieu of flowers.

Please visit butlerfuneralhomes.com to offer your condolences.