Larry M. Henderhan

Funeral service for Larry M. Henderhan, 75 of Lawton will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, February 8, 2021 at Lawton Ritter Gray Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Gary Pratt, of Lawton First Assembly officiating. 

Our family patriarch, best friend, husband, leader, uncle,  brother, Papaw, mentor, and Daddy was called home to be with the Lord on February 3, 2021.
Burial with military honors will be at Sunset Memorial Gardens.

Due to Covid restrictions, masks and social distancing are required at the funeral home and at the cemetery. 

The memorial book will be available to sign and the memorial video available on Sunday, February 7, 2021 from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. at the funeral home. 

Born on the 4th of July, 1945 in Marietta, Ohio, he lived there through his youth. Upon graduating from Marietta High School in 1963, he was drafted into the U.S. Army in May 1965 and promptly shipped to battle.

Assigned to 183d ABN at only 20 years old, he began his first tour of duty by jumping out of a plane and into the jungles of Vietnam. He would go on to spend 42 months in country, at war, fighting for our country. Having taken enemy fire and shrapnel in both legs, he was duly honored with the Purple Heart before spending the rest of his career serving the United States Army highlighted by tours in Italy and Korea before his retirement from the U.S. Army June 30th, 1985.  

SFC(R) Henderhan, while assigned to Fort Sill, met and married the love of his life, Sharon Basch, on April 15, 1976, thus becoming a stepfather to two little boys, and a Father to his own son a few years later in 1978.

While his military career was spent with many MOS's, his last 7 years as a Career Counselor were his favorite. It was there that he decided, in retirement, to continue assisting soldiers. 
In 1985 he achieved possibly his greatest feat yet and began his own company, Henderhan Printing. 

Still in operation 35+ years later, Larry and sons literally traveled the world providing quality retention items to counselors and soldiers. This would be the joy of his life as he would earn even more recognition by the very soldiers and counselors that he respected so greatly being named the US ARMY Small Business of the Year in 1995, the 1996 Honorary Sergeant Major of the 18th Field Artillery, the 1997 Honorable Order of Saint Barbara, the 2000 US ARMY Veteran of the Years, and was selected to the US ARMY Retention Hall of Fame in 2003.

During the early years of his company, he would embark on a life of volunteerism with the Lawton Noon Optimist Club being selected President in 1987, Oklahoma Lt. Gov in 1988, Governor Elect in 1989, and Governor of Oklahoma Optimist in 1990.

He was preceded in going home by his most cherished Grandmother and Grandfather Ma and Pa, mother Margaret, father Arthur Henderhan, sister Sharon Allen, and quite possibly his most trusted confidante, Gizmo. 

He is survived by his wife, Sharon Henderhan, of the home; two sisters and a brother in law,  Marlene and John McCarthy, John of Parkersburg, WV,  and Susie McWilliams, of Richmond, British Columbia; his daughter, Lynn Rusin of Nashville, Tennessee; and her children, Jenna and Jimbo; his sons and daughters in law, Michael and Sarah Henderhan, and their son, Ryan and his wife Miranda of Sycamore, IL, Heath and Leah NesSmith, and their children, Parker and Presley of Lawton OK, and Chad  and Leslie NesSmith, and their children, Landon, Channing, and Noah, of Edmond, OK. He is also survived by his great grandchildren, Gabriel, Blakley, Gunner, and Kash; and numerous nieces and nephews including niece, Lynne Hoffman and husband, Joe of Page, Arizona,

SFC(R) Henderhan leaves behind countless friends and family, too numerous to list, all with their own heartfelt memories of the magical smile, sweet spirit, and genuine love he gave to every person he met. SFC Henderhan (R) enjoyed attending LFA with his son and daughter-in-law, giving his life to the Lord in 2013 and being baptized the same year. He would continue attending church service at the Lawton VA Center, where he was cared for by some of the most competent, caring staff for his final eight years of life. He will be remembered fondly.

I love you. I love you too, Daddy. 

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