Kent K. Henkel, age 81, of Urbana , passed away on March 25, 2026 . He is survived by his wife, Caryl, in memory care, of Prospect Heights, IL; his brother, Walter Henkel of Columbia, MO; his stepdaughter, Mary Willis Anderson (Jared), and his grandsons, Brent and Brady Anderson, all of Rochester Hills, MI.
Kent was born on September 29, 1944 in St. Louis, MO to Walter and Georgine Henkel. He graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor’s in German. He enlisted in the Navy in 1966 and served in a Beach Jumper Unit during the Vietnam War and was honorably discharged as a Lieutenant in 1971.
A career in sales brought him to Champaign. He eventually got his real estate license and worked with Coldwell Banker Miller & Miller and Twin City Realty. He was a CASA advocate in Champaign County and he finally retired in 2016 as a tax revenue specialist for the state of Illinois.
He became an active member at Community United Church of Christ in Champaign, and it was there that he met his love, Caryl, and her daughter Mary. They were married on May 8, 1983. They loved traveling to Michigan, cruising the oceans, their morning coffee, occasional glass of wine, and adding to their extensive teddy bear, lighthouse, and photo album collections. They were together all the time until Caryl’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis in 2018 caused them to live in separate homes but never separate lives. He was a very devoted caregiver and worried about her care, right up to the day of his death.
Kent was cremated and his ashes will be spread at a later date.
There will be a Celebration of Life service with social luncheon following on Saturday, May 23, 2026 at 10:30am at Community United Church of Christ, 805 S. 6th Street, Champaign, IL.
Because of allergies and travel, in lieu of flowers, Mary is requesting donations be directed to Jubilee Café at Community UCC or Transitions Hospice- 3011A Village Office Place, Champaign 61822.