Gary E. Henning, 61, of Kearney, died Aug. 6, 2012, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney after a battle with cancer.
He was born on Jan. 28, 1951, in Kearney to Harvey and Betty (Saathoff) Henning.
On May 3, 1975, he married Judy Monson.
Gary was educated in Kearney Public Schools and graduated from Kearney High School in 1969. He received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Kearney State Collage in 1973. He worked his entire life at Cash-Wa Distributing where he was executive vice president. He also owned and managed Broken Bow Wholesale, of Broken Bow, from 1980-89.
Gary was an avid hunter. He was a past shooter and board member of the Nebraska One Box Pheasant Hunt in Broken Bow. He was a member of the 2006 Nebraska One Box Pheasant Hunt Past Shooter Champion Team. He was also a member of the Nebraska One Box Foundation Board. He enjoyed fishing and playing golf.
His yellow lab “Jake” was a master hunter and a Grand Hunting Retriever Champion. He competed in the 2006, 2007 and 2008 HRCH International Grand Competitions.
He was a member of First Lutheran Church in Kearney and Our Savior Lutheran Church in Broken Bow. He attended Bible Camp as a youth and accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. Gary was also a 32nd degree Mason, a member of the Ron Morris Lodge, Scottish Rite and Fort Kearney Shrine Club.
Survivors include his wife, of Kearney; daughters, Nicole (Jason) Henning-McNeil, of Greenville, S.C.; Stacy (friend Jeremy Hurt) Henning, of Kearney; brothers, Tom (Mary), Bob (Michele), all of Kearney, Greg (Suanne), of North Platte, Stephen (Stacey), of Pacific Palisades, Calif.; sister-in-law, Janice (Mario) Garza, of Pembroke Pines, Fla.; nephews, Chad (Melissa), of Kearney, Mathew, of North Platte, and Christopher, of Pacific Palisades, Calif.; nieces, Michelle (Andy) Harter, of Kearney, and Kaleena (Brian) Shannon, of Lincoln, Bianca Aravena and Crystal Busciglio, both of Tampa, Fla.; also included are eight grand-nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents; niece, Bari Lou Henning; and father-in-law, Russell Monson.
Services will be at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 10, at First Lutheran Church in Kearney, with the Revs. Eric Lesher and Rebecca McDermott officiating. Burial will be at the Kearney Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m., today, O’Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral Home in Kearney.
Memorials are suggested to the Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation, Nebraska One Box Pheasant Hunt Foundation and the Harvey and Betty Henning Family Scholarship Fund at the University of Nebraska Foundation. On-line condolences may be submitted to osrfh.com.
O’Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral Home in Kearney is in charge of arrangements.