More detail on this person: Joseph (Joe)
Henjum Jr. died at home on January 1, 2010, after
a long illness.
Mr. Henjum was born in Hollywood, Florida on
February 13, 1934, one of five children of Joseph
(senior) and Alpha Henjum (deceased), both
originally from Norwegian families in Minnesota.
He attended the University of Miami in Coral
Gables, Florida, where he majored in Music
Education, played clarinet and saxophone, and was
Drum Major of the Band of the Hour. Later he
earned a Master of Business Administration from
George Washington University and a Master of
Science in Education from Troy State University.
After graduating from college, Joe entered the Air
Force in 1956, completing pilot training and
helicopter school. During a 26-year career, he
logged over 5,000 hours of flying time before
retiring as a Colonel in 1982. He enjoyed a rich
variety of assignments in nine states, the
Philippines, Vietnam and Hawaii, as well as a tour
of duty at the Air Force Academy.
In his second career, Mr. Henjum served as General
Manager of Cheyenne Place Retirement Community
from 1983 to 1996 when he and his wife, JoAnne,
worked as a team, planting roots in Colorado
Springs.
In the "third half" of his life, Mr. Henjum became
actively engaged as a volunteer in several
community service organizations and projects. He
served six years as a member of the Colorado
Commission on Aging and was Co-Founder and
Past President of the Senior Resource Council. He
was a proud member and Past President of the
downtown Rotary Club of Colorado Springs. Joe
was also Past President of the Pikes Peak Chapter
of the Military Officers Association of America.
With an intense interest in improving our
transportation system, Mr. Henjum was a
Co-Founder and Past President of the Colorado
Mobility Coalition and the Pikes Peak Mobility
Coalition. He also served on the East-West
Mobility Study Group and was later a member of
the Citizens Transportation Advisory Board for
Colorado Springs.
One of Colonel Henjum's most passionate efforts
was as Co-Founder and Past President of The
Home Front Cares, a local, non-profit, community
grassroots organization that provides urgent
financial support for the families of military
troops deployed in harm's way. He attributed the
outstanding success of this organization to the
hard work of a small corps of local volunteers and
the community at-large that appreciates the
service and sacrifice of those who serve in the
profession of arms.
Mr. Henjum was selected as the 1998 Volunteer of
the Year by the Pikes Peak Area Council of
Governments and was a Grand Marshall of the 2006
Veterans Day Parade.
Mr. Henjum and his wife of 56 years, JoAnne, were
college sweethearts. Their son, Mark, and his
wife, Peggy Strahan Henjum, gave them two
granddaughters, Lindsay Henjum Hoover and
Jocelyn Henjum. Their daughter, Nancy Henjum,
and her husband, Steve Kern, gave Joe and JoAnne
two more wonderful grandchildren, Dylan Kern and
Kate Henjum. In addition to these family members
who all live in Colorado Springs, Mr. Henjum is
survived by his two sisters Shirley Henjum Meucci
in Lady Lake, Florida and Dot Earney in Hollywood,
Florida. His two brothers, Don and Ted also live
in the family's hometown of Hollywood, Florida.
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
Please send additions or corrections to: HQ@vhpa.org VHPA Headquarters
Return to the Helicopter Pilot DAT name list
Return to VHPA web site
Date posted on this site: 04/13/2025
Copyright © 1998 - 2025 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association