Daniel Henkel

Dan Henkel, aged 71, of Indianapolis, Indiana, passed away on April 28, 2023, surrounded by loving family. Daniel James Henkel was born to Richard and Margery Henkel on December 10, 1951, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He lived nearly all his life in Indianapolis. He was the fourth of seven children, exactly in the middle. Dan’s family was known for their warmth, their involvement in community and church, and their musical and theatrical talent. Dan remained close with his siblings throughout his life. Dan was brilliant, a self-taught classical guitarist, with a deep love of art, music, and laughter. After attending various colleges, he earned a Bachelor of Arts with High Distinction at IUPUI, majoring in Communication & Theatre. He continued his studies in public relations, crisis communications, media relations, and public administration. In June 1981, he married the love of his life, Beth (Holland) Henkel. A devoted and adoring husband, his favorite verse for her was from the Book of Tobit: “He fell so deeply in love with her that he could no longer call his heart his own.” They were inseparable for nearly 45 years. Dan and Beth traveled the country and the world together, enjoying yoga and beautiful birds in Costa Rica, gorgeous landscapes in Scotland and classical music in Austria. Dan was a loving father to their three children, Sarah, Abby, and Tom. He celebrated each of them for who they were. He read stories with all the silly voices, tucked musical notes in their school lunches, and lulled them to sleep as he played classical guitar. Everyone who knew Dan treasured him for his wit and his kind and gentle heart. He also had a way with words. He was always ready with a Dad joke or a clever pun, and he wrote many parody songs and original compositions, including “The Draft Dodger’s Rag,” “Down, Down with Protest,” and “The Lobbying Man.” His prowess for “Jeopardy!” was unmatched. Dan’s professional career and accomplishments demonstrate his varied talents and dedication to musical arts, theater, educational institutions, the environment, and public service. He taught guitar lessons and music theory, founding Renaissance Studios in Broad Ripple in the 1970s with colleague Brett Terrell, and played professionally for several years before completing his bachelor’s degree. He went on to work in video production for the Indiana State Teachers’ Association, and served as Director of Public Information for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources where he was editor of Outdoor Indiana magazine. Dan received numerous awards, including the Sagamore of the Wabash; the Maynard K. Hine Award by IUPUI; and Apex, Epic, Keystone, and Encore awards for crisis communications, op/ed writing, video productions, and musical arrangements. He was accredited by the Public Relations Society of America and served in various capacities in public relations at Shank Public Relations, Independent Colleges of Indiana, and the American College of Sports Medicine. In the 1990s, Dan began officiating weddings, thereby celebrating love and relationships. After retirement, his officiant business took off, leading Dan to officiate more than 100 weddings, often joined by Beth. As longtime allies and supporters of the LGBTQ community, Dan and Beth delighted in wedding couples of all genders and orientations. Dan had been proudly planning to co-officiate the wedding of his daughter Abby to her fiancée, Jess Roman, alongside Jess’s mother on June 1, 2023. Dedicated to giving back to his community, Dan served on the boards of several nonprofit organizations, including the Public Relations Society of America, the IUPUI School of Liberal Arts Alumni Board, the Portfolio, the Indianapolis Children’s Choir, and the Indiana Parks Alliance. Dan was an accomplished musician and taught classical and finger-style guitar lessons. He co-founded the Indy Folk Series with friend Janet McCabe. He performed with many dear friends and family, beginning alongside his sister Ellen Kingston as “The Henkel Brothers” in the 1970s. Beth and he served the Unitarian Universalist community in Indianapolis musically and spiritually for decades. He competed in the Indiana State Fingerstyle Guitar Festival in Nashville, Indiana. Dan also found his way to the stage with the Players Club. Dan’s musicianship inspired a love of music in all three of his children, which he passionately encouraged and supported. Dan and Beth had just moved to Bloomington, Indiana, to be closer to their daughters and favorite (only) granddaughter, who misses her Poppy’s funny jokes. The world has lost a singular, wonderful man, although Dan’s light lives on in the hundreds of friends who have come forward with stories about the ways he touched their lives. Dan is survived by his loving wife, Beth Henkel; children, Sarah Montgomery (London), Abby Henkel (Jess Roman), and Thomas Henkel; granddaughter, Hannah Montgomery; siblings, Amy Henkel (Ben McCracken), Ellen Kingston (Rick), Clare Henkel (Philip Sneed), John Henkel (Kathi Demarest); and many beloved cousins, nieces, and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Richard Henkel and Margery (Laughlin) Henkel; brother David Selby Johnson; and sister Susan (Johnson) Hadler. A celebration of life will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Indianapolis (UUI) and on zoom (https://tinyurl.com/9m2by3e2) on Saturday, June 24, 2023 at 2:00 pm. Donations in Dan’s memory may be made to UUI (www.uui.org/support), the Indy Folk Series (www.indyfolkseries.org/support), and the Indiana Parks Alliance (indianaparksalliance.org/donors).

Tributes

Daniel Henkel

December 10, 1951 - April 28, 2023