Earl Leonard Henry Jr., 74

 

 

 

   Earl “Earlie” Leonard Henry, Jr. had to leave this world on October 4, 2026. 

   Born to Earl Sr. And Mame Henry in Dubuque, Iowa on January 5, 1952. Earl was raised on the family homestead with his sister, Shirley, and his brother, Gary, along with horses, home cooking, and the appreciation for hard work. 

Always a bit of a daredevil and free spirit, Earl did it his way. Whether it was rolling down the hill in a 55-gallon barrel, or an icy sled race with Gary; no-holds-barred. The only brake being a tree or the ditch. 

As Earl got older, he traded in the sled for a Harley Electra Glide. Never a fan of the ordinary path, you could spot him riding his motorcycle, relaxing in the cool night air, to the rumbling of his Harley engine with a Snoopy doghouse strapped on the back. 

   His offbeat nature came through as the fun-loving uncle to his nephews, Ricky and Randy, and niece, Chrissy, aka “The Brat.” Overnight stays featured ice cream sundaes as the main course, a shot of whipped cream straight from the can, and the introduction of exotic wild rice (which in fact was Rice-A-Roni). Earl was always up for football, board games, cards, and turning Chrissy upside down and sweeping the floor with her hair.  

Earlie was known for his ability to teach. He imparted his wisdom (beneficial and sometimes impish) on all his family, including to his sister-in-law, Kay, brother-in-law, Mick, nieces; Laura and Jannie, and nephew, Chad, and the next generation of nieces and nephews, Brandon, Nicholas, Zachary, Hayley, Nathan, and Natalie. 

   My God, he loved his family! 

   Earl worked in various industries throughout his life including; helping his dad at Meadow Gold Dairy, Farm Hand at New Melleray Abbey, Die Set Manager, Semi Driver, Courier at Purolator Air Freight, Store Owner in Dubuque, Iowa and Galena, Illinois, Driver and Transit Manager at Project Concern Inc. in Dubuque, Iowa, and closing out his career as Transportation Director at Northeast Iowa Community Action Corp. (NEICAC) in Decorah, Iowa. 

His work at NEICAC, a nonprofit, was the work he valued most. In 2013, he was recognized as the Transit Manager of the Year by the Iowa Office of Public Transit. His dedication to this system’s success is evidenced by anyone who’s ridden on an EARL Public Transit bus or has seen one out on the road. Many important friendships came out of Earl’s time at NEICAC, including Butch, Brenda, and Karn. Earl truly loved all the people he worked with except one (you know who you are). 

   On a beautiful day, October 9, 1999, Earl married Karyn at The Little Brown Church in Vale in Nashua, Iowa. There were two previous marriages to Marsha and Diane, but they didn’t stick. Karyn came into the marriage with her own tribe; Adam (Kim), Adrianne (Cyle), and Anya (Jeff). Grandchildren and great grandchildren followed after; Kirsten, Megan, Gage, Carter, Chloe, Cash, Mylo, Olive, and Carson. It took a while to adjust to a lively household of teens. Eventually, Earl found his way and loved his step-children dearly. The grandchildren made it all the sweeter. 

Earl maintained a reverence for the unseen world and an openness for the mysteries that lie beyond our understanding. He valued his inner life, not just the outer material concerns. 

Like a good Irishman, Earl was a great story teller with that unmistakable twinkle in his eyes! His witty sense of humor mixed with his intelligence entertained willing and captive audiences. 

Earl and Karyn had a strong bond that started as friendship and grew into a deep love that was a blessing of a lifetime. The parting stinks! In the words of Charlie Brown, “GOOD GRIEF!” We miss him! 

To our doctors, nurses, and support staff, our partners in healing, laughter, and humanity, we love you! Dr. Metz, Dr. Heine, Dr. Sullivan, Suzette PA, Amanda RN, Alicia RN, Hallie RD, Molly MSW, Erin PT, Kristi, and Caitlin RN. 

   A private reflection on Earl’s life will be held with family.