Charles Thomas Henning, 92, passed away peacefully at his home in Jacksonville, Arkansas on July 31, 2021. Charles was born November 21, 1928 to the late Fred and Pascal Henning in Trumann, Arkansas. The family moved to Hardy when Charles was young. He was known as John to his family and friends in Hardy, Arkansas and did not know his true legal name until he joined the Army in 1948 when he was required to get a copy of his birth certificate. Life in Hardy was hard during the Depression, requiring young boys to grow up quickly and take jobs to help the family.  Charles left school after the eighth grade to assist his dad in running the Hardy Municipal Waterworks, where state inspectors were amazed that a young teen knew how to run the pumps and treat the water taken from the Spring River. During World War II, as a fifteen-year old, he drove a fuel truck delivering gas, kerosene, and oil to homes, farms, and stores in the Sharp and Fulton counties over gravel and dirt roads.

He served in the Army for three years including service as an auto and truck maintenance instructor at the US Army Ordnance School in Eisewigge, Germany, where he taught NATO troops how to maintain the equipment given to them by the US. Following his Army service, he attended Arkansas Tech University, where he commanded the Army ROTC unit and was president of the Newman Club (the Catholic student association). It was during a Newman Club trip to a CYO dance in Morrilton, Arkansas that he met the love of his life, Mary Katherine Rohlman. They married on October 4, 1958 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Morrilton, after which Charles decided to rejoin the military, but this time in the US Air Force.

His Air Force career took them to assignments in Louisiana, Okinawa, Colorado, Florida, Germany, and finally back home to Arkansas, at Little Rock Air Force Base. Along the way, they were blessed with four children, all born at different Air Force bases. At each base, the Hennings were members of the Catholic Chapel communities and made lasting friendships. During Vietnam, Charles served at Shemya Air Force Base in the Aleutians and Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. His Air Force career included work in supply, the Mace missile, the Titan II missile, and finally as a First Sergeant in the 308th Strategic Missile Wing Headquarters Squadron, 308th Communications Squadron, and the 308th Security Police Squadron. He retired from the Air Force in 1978 and became the Assistant Shop Supervisor for the Sears Automotive Center at McCain Mall in North Little Rock. His true calling came after he retired from Sears in 1990, being a grandfather.

He was a parishioner at St. Jude the Apostle Catholic Church in Jacksonville, where he served as a Eucharistic minister, as well as a member of the Men's Club, and the Knights of Columbus. He loved NASCAR, gardening, fixing anything, especially cars, and cooking for family and friends. He restored a 1960 Mercedes 190D he found in a junkyard, buying parts across the US to get it back into running shape. He was always the first call when a vehicle was not running right.

In addition to his parents, Charles was preceded in his journey to Heaven by his wife of fifty-six years, Mary Katherine Henning; and sisters, Catherine Sullivan, Betty Mitchell, and Midge Baltz. He leaves behind to cherish his memory and to follow the path that he led us on, his children, Lisa (Phillip) Raimondo of Davidsonville, Maryland, Mike (Vickie) Henning of Hensley, David (Kim) Henning of Redfield, and his special daughter, Angie Henning of Jacksonville.  He was the proud grandfather of seven grandchildren Anthony, Nicholas, and Joseph Raimondo, Ashley (Michael) Carpenter, Jonathon, Hunter, and Shawn Henning. Charles is also survived by one brother, Charles F. (Ching) Henning of Hardy; a cousin that was like a brother to him, Charlie Hamilton of Cabot; and dozens of nieces and nephews from the Baltz, Sullivan, Mitchell, and Rohlman clans.

The family wishes to thank those who cared for Angie and Dad over the years, especially Cindy Hibbs, Sharmora Hendrix, Misty Lewis, and Marilyn Evans. In particular, we would like to thank the medical staff of VA Pact 37 who treated Dad like their own father. The family asks that donations to be made to his favorite charity, the Discalced Carmelite Nuns of Little Rock https://littlerockcarmel.org/ .

Visitation will be 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Monday, August 9, 2021 followed by a 7:30 p.m. Rosary service at St. Jude the Apostle Catholic Church in Jacksonville. A Mass of Christian Burial will be 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, August 10, 2021, at St. Jude the Apostle Catholic Church, officiated by Father Mark Wood, with burial to follow at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Morrilton at 3 pm. Arrangements by Moore's Jacksonville Funeral Home, (501) 982-2136.