James "Jim" Ross Henke

December 4, 1944 - May 7, 2020

Pratt - James Ross "Jim" Henke, 75, passed away Thursday, May 7, 2020. He was born December 4, 1944 in Kingman, Kansas to Arnold and Marjorie (Frisbie) Henke. Jim married Debbie (Hales) Henke on May 10, 1980 in Annandale, Virginia. They were happily married for 40 years. Jim graduated from Radford High School in Honolulu, Hawaii. He joined the Marine Corps, serving during the Vietnam war and receiving a Purple Heart. After his military service, Jim worked for AT&T as a customer systems engineer, retiring in 2001. After retirement, Jim focused on the things he loved collecting and repairing antique watches, attending estate sales and auctions, and caring for his wife, his home and acreage, and his "critters". Jim supported and volunteered at the Pratt Area Humane Society, attended First Christian Church, was a member of American Legion Post 345, and was a member of the National Rifle Association. He also supported the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund and the Marine Corp Heritage Foundation. Jim loved history. His two passions were the Civil War and Corvettes. he was the proud owner of a 1988 Corvette and a member of the National Corvette Owners Association. He is survived by his wife, Debbie; son, James R. Henke, Jr. (Teresa Longerbeam) of Boyce, Virginia; granddaughters, Ashley Henke of Shepherdstown, West Virginia and Brooklyn Longerbeam of Boyce, Virginia; brother, Glenn (Karen) Henke of Cuba, Kansas; sister, Ginger (John) Birtell of Wakarusa, Kansas; sister in-laws, Sherri Henke of Medicine Lodge and Lucy (Chris) King of Burke, Virginia; nieces, Jessica and Samantha King of Burke, Virginia; and 10 nieces and nephews and their families. Jim is preceded in death by his parents and brother, Rodney B. Henke. Cremation has taken place. A memorial service will held at 1:00 p.m., Friday, June 26, 2020 at First Southern Baptist Church, Pratt. Those attending are asked to wear masks and observe social distancing. Memorials may be made to Pratt Area Humane Society or American Cancer Society in care of Larrison Mortuary, 300 Country Club Road, Pratt.