- From Morreen Hansen, Oct 2017:
Mike outlived all his Seattle friends and family -- there was no one left to inform of his death, so we did his obituary in the Helena paper. I don't have a copy of the final version, but this is the draft we were working on. He called the suit his "Hong Kong suit".
I put together what I felt to be a fitting obituary for Mike. As I mentioned, I hoped Lynnette would do what she did for Mom's obituary and polish it up. Also attached is the best photo I could find -- you might have something better, but I think you took this one at Angie's wedding.
Les still has not done anything for the paper here, or for Wesley's internal newsletter. I guess I'll send a copy of this to him, maybe it will get him going.
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Michael Richard Hendrickson:
Mike was born September 27, 1924 in New Brighton, Pennsylvania, to Michael Richard Hendrickson Sr. and Mary Allen Swager. He died suddenly of a heart attack on Sunday, June 24, 2012, while a resident of Wesley Terrace, DesMoines, WA.
Mike was a licensed pilot, a flight engineer for commercial airlines, and a flight engineer instructor for Boeing Airplane Manufacturing. When Boeing sells an airplane, they send a crew with it to instruct the receiving airline's flight crews. During his career, there were very few places on this Earth where Mike was not sent. He made many friends along the way and had some great stories to tell. One of his favorites: Mike was cautious about having enough fuel on board to cover any likely situation. He was assigned to fly with a pilot who was famous for flying lean. Mike listened to his order regarding fuel amount, then against orders, went ahead and added what he thought would be needed. The flight did turn out to be rough, with strong opposing winds. As they were struggling through the storm, a worried pilot said, "Mike, how are we doing on fuel?" Mike in his dead-pan voice, said, "We ran out of yours a few hundred miles back, we're running on mine now."
He was a good man.
He married Dorothy Hickman Hall in 1970. He and Dorothy traveled together all over the world and across the U.S. He was a good husband to Dorothy and welcomed all her large family into their home and lives.
Mike was preceded in death by his parents; his wife Dorothy; his first wife, Phyllis Marian Weichert; son Michael Richard Hendrickson III; daughter, Barbara Jean Hendrickson; sister, Mary Wilma (John James) Hays. He is survived by a son, Leslie Allen Hendrickson, Portland, OR; step-family of Helena: Michael and Diana Hall, Corena Hall, Lynette and Joe Radonich, Angie Hall, Jordan and Maria Hall, Howard Schmith, and numerous grandchildren; his step family in Seattle, Michael and Morreen Hall Hansen, Janet Penny, Mike Hansen and more grandchildren.
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Mike will be buried in the Veteran's Memorial Cemetery, I think out in Covington, but unsure about details. I will need to check that out with the funeral director. Once you've done the editing over there, I think I can place the order online.
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1924 - 2012 (87 years)
