Timothy James Henderleiter

The mighty oak doesn’t even feel it’s weight.

Winter brings more rain, more ice, more snow. The smaller trees begin to break under the weight of the snow.

The mighty oak continues to stand proud as trees around it buckle.

The next ice storm downs a medium size tree, who helplessly falls under the weight of the ice in its branches.

The mighty oak continues to stand tall in the promise of spring. But even for the mighty oak, the winter has taken its toll. The ravages of the rain, the snow and the ice are there, but unseen.

A single snowflake falls.

The mighty oak falls too.

His family would have given anything to protect him from the weight of the final snowflake, but they were blinded by his strength and the beauty of his character and didn’t even see the final snowflake fall.

Timothy James Henderleiter, Jr. grew up surrounded by family in Kenosha, Wisconsin, before moving to Lockport, Illinois and then transplanting to Kansas City. Tim was born February 7, 1974 in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He attended Lockport High School at Lockport, Illinois. Tim received a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from DeVry University and was a Registered Sonographer.

Tim and Nichole were both working professionals, so they rolled the dice and entered the world of online dating. Little did they know sparks would fly and a match would be made leading to the creation of an amazing family and life together. Tim and Nichole (Homeier) Henderleiter were married on September 18, 2010 and the adventure began. They enjoyed a love of travel, wine and long conversations. Soon they decided it was time to start a family. The journey to make their family was not easy, they endured multiple miscarriages, the process and challenges of infertility treatments and a battle with cancer along the way. After being blessed with their twin daughters Phoebe and Hazel, they decided to expand their family and welcomed two more blessings into their home by adopting Porter and Cam. Tim was a dedicated father to his children and always took the time to talk one-on-one with each one of his children so they would know that they were special.

Tim shared with his children his love of nature and created a tribe of dedicated fishermen, sharing many nature adventures with them. Tim was a devoted and caring husband. There was not a single day that he did not make his wife Nichole feel loved and supported. He started off every day by making sure his wife and children had breakfast, smoothing the way for everyone to go about their day and ended it with bedtime stories and cuddles.

When Tim was not spending time with his family you would often find him hunting or fishing. He was an avid lover of nature and enjoyed spending his time hunting on the family farm in Russell. He was well versed on various types of hunting and had a deep respect for the sport. He enjoyed the time that he was able to spend sharing this experience with his friends and family.

In recent years, Tim had battled some serious health challenges that took their toll. Tim was the strong and silent type and preferred to navigate those challenges in private. Tim was his family’s mighty oak. Like the oak in the snowstorm, eventually all of the ravages took their toll. Tim lost his battle with these challenges on February 2, 2019 when he took his own life. His family will always remember how he carried the burden of others so well; all the little things he did to help others each and every day. It will not be the same without his comforting shadow.

A celebration of Tim’s life will be held on February 9, at 10:00 at Tomahawk Community Center in Overland Park. A memorial has been established and can be sent to Destinee Braun, PO Box 139 Russell, KS 67665 in care of the Henderleiter Children Memorial Fund.

Tim is survived by his wife Nichole (Homeier) Henderleiter and children Hazel, Phoebe, Porter and Cam. Other surviving family include his parents, Timothy and Cathy Henderleiter; his in-laws Gloria (James) Homeier-Schwien and Ralph (Debbie) Homeier; his sisters Heather (David) Hosea, and children Chris, Michael and Bryan; Rachel (James) Sneed, and children Katelynn and Christopher Gleason and Matthew, Timothy and Jayme Sneed. Five sister-in-law’s Tia (Mark) Blehm, child Taelyr Blehm; Memory (Kraig) Buffington, and children Tavia, Neveah, Sky, and Natalia; Destinee (Nate) Braun, and children Jayden, Riley, and Lilly; Rachel Schwien; and Danielle Homeier. Two brother-in-law’s Bobby (Lindsay) Homeier; Justin (Betsy) and child Jase.

Please, if you or someone you love have unexplained physical symptoms, consider counseling as you pursue answers. No oak stands alone.