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
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Date posted on this site: 07/01/2020
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