Atha Lorene (Greathouse) Henkle, 88, of Orlando, passed away peacefully Thursday, October 17, 2019 at Cornerstone Hospice surrounded by her family. She was born April 7, 1931 in Brown County, Indiana, the eldest of four daughters born to the late Virgil and Olive Blanche (Ping) Greathouse.
Mrs. Henkle was a 1948 graduate of Van Buren High School and she married the love of her life, John William Henkle, on April 16, 1949. Lorene and John moved with their four children to Orlando, Florida in 1963, where Lorene spent many years as a stay at home mom raising her children, as well as working as a representative for Avon and Tupperware.
Upon retirement, Lorene and John enjoyed many adventures traveling across the country, ultimately visiting all fifty states together. Despite having a large and ever-growing family, Mrs. Henkle dedicated her life to making her loved ones a priority. She never missed an opportunity to send a thoughtful card or to call to let you know she was thinking of you. She was also an avid gardener, crafter, and baker. She enjoyed gifting her family with homegrown vegetables, handmade quilts, baby blankets, Christmas ornaments, and homemade cookies and noodles.
Her love for her family extended to her desire to understand her roots and Mrs. Henkle kept meticulous records of her genealogy. She was sharp-witted, genuine, and wasn’t shy about giving you a piece of her mind. Her generosity and kindheartedness set an example for all who knew her. Although she had many wonderful qualities, above all she will be remembered as a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.
Mrs. Henkle was preceded in death by her parents and sisters and is survived by her husband of 70 years, John Henkle Sr., and four children: John (Joan) Henkle Jr., Jack (Nancy) Henkle, Jeff (Melanie Gay) Henkle, Judy (Dennis) McNulty, as well as ten grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren.
A memorial service celebrating Mrs. Henkle’s life will be held on Monday, October 21, 2019 with visitation at 10 am and a service officiated by Reverend John SanCartier at 11 am at the Woodlawn Memorial Park and Funeral Home (400 Woodlawn Cemetery Rd, Gotha, FL 34734). Interment will follow at noon. Please join us in sharing memories of Lorene’s life.
