Robert Webster Hennen

July 17th, 1952 - May 13th, 2025

Robert 's Memory Wall

We encourage you to share your most beloved memories of Robert here, so that the family and other loved ones can always see it. Share your favorite stories or comment on those shared by others.

We fondly remember the glorious summers at the lake with the Hennens and Wolfes. Our son, who was shy about water, was embraced by his cousins and Shelly and Robert’s grandsons, whom we consider family, and learned to love swimming, boating, and tubing under their excellent tutelage. Dinners spent on the Hennen's deck overlooking the lake were so special. We enjoyed whatever Robert was grilling and the side dishes, and desserts prepared by the ladies of the family. No one ever went away hungry! Robert created a backyard and dock that was a wonderland for the kids. He kept his watercraft in pristine condition and was always generous with boat rides. It was so much fun to see the guys wakeboarding. It is a credit to Robert that his children were experts in water sports. The work the Hennens did at the Michiana Christian Service camp will be a blessing to future generations and is a legacy of a life well-lived by a man and his fine Christian family. We know that Robert is at this moment with Jesus and loved ones who have gone before, and is experiencing perfect peace, perfect love, and a new life that he will enjoy for all eternity. We honor his memory.

Jim, Ruth and Joseph Hill

May 16th, 2025 at 8:47pm

In all honesty Robert used to scare me as a kid. He had a voice that could boom across the entire lake, especially if he was yelling at Brooke. He whipped us so hard on the tube that I considered calling child protective services. And he wasn't someone you wanted to test his patience late at night (he was waaaay more of a morning person) But like all of us when we are young, we don't truly understand people. We have little ability to think about anyone except ourselves and we view people through a narrow lens. As I grew older, Robert changed in my mind. I realized that he would yell at us because, let's be honest, me and Brooke could be really annoying but also because he cared deeply about us. He whipped us hard on the tube because he saw the joy and laughter we got out of feeling like we cheated death. And he was a morning person because days are long and tiring, and there was nothing more beautiful to Robert than a calm, peaceful lake on a crisp Michigan morning. What I know now to be true now is that Robert was a man who deeply loved his family, sacrificed his time to be there for them, and worked hard to provide for their needs. And even though I was not his kid, he treated me like I was. Robert was my coach, one of my favorite boat drivers, and another positive father figure throughout my childhood. He sacrificed his time to teach me sports and his money to entertain me on the lake. He was the only person who called me Tricky, and I will forever be grateful for the role he played in helping me become who I am today. I will miss you, Robert, and if there’s tubing in heaving I want you to give me a pull.

Nick Runyon

May 16th, 2025 at 5:02pm

I knew Robert & Shelly from attending Fairland church. I was an unfortunate "victim" of Robert's "favorite things to do was torture the teenagers by whipping them in the tubes behind the boat until they couldn’t hold on anymore". We were at their house for my sister's going away party to Austria as a foreign exchange student. I was in the Navy at the time and had only been married for 4 months. When I went "skipping across the water" my young bride thought that she was going to be a widow. Thank you Robert for the fun memories. Our prayers are extended to the Hennen family during this time of grief and sorrow.