Larry Wayne Henry

Larry W. Henry, of Mokena and formerly of Frankfort, died Monday, September 11, 2023. He was 78.

Larry was born in Anna, Ill., on September 6, 1945. He grew up in the Roseland neighborhood of Chicago. He graduated from Fenger High School, where he met his life-long sweetheart Gail. Larry and Gail were married for 56 years.

In 1970, Larry enlisted in the Air Force and was stationed in Wichita Falls, Texas, where he served as a medic. He was honorably discharged in 1973 and then served in the National Guard for several years. He spent his career in shipping and logistics, first working for the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad and then Genex, where he served as a logistics expert and helped develop a new approach to the trucking business. In 1991, he took a job with Alliance Shippers, where he spent the rest of his career, retiring in 2021 as the vice president of logistics & special projects.

When Larry wasn’t at the office, you could find him tinkering with cars, jamming on one of his many guitars or running his Lionel trains in the room he had dedicated to elaborate tracks and scenery. On weekends, he and Gail enjoyed going antiquing in small towns across the Midwest and filled their home with their favorite finds.

He passed his passion for cars down to his son – the two of them buying a MG Midget in 1985 for $600. They spent the next five years – really the next nearly 40 years – fixing it up. It’s still running today. His grandsons inherited Larry’s passion for guitars; his granddaughter has an affinity for the Corvettes that Larry enjoyed collecting.

He deeply loved his family and he found great enjoyment spending time with his three grandchildren.

Larry is survived by his wife, Gail (nee Raklovits) Henry; son, Scott (Tanya) Henry; grandchildren, Emmett Henry, Griffin Henry, and Annika Henry; his sister Vicki (Mike) Maxwell; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Wayne and Delilah Henry.

Services for Larry will be held on Sunday, September 17, 2023, at Kurtz Memorial Chapel, 65 Old Frankfort Way, in Frankfort. Visitation will be 1p.m. until 4 p.m., with a funeral service beginning at 4 p.m. Donations in Larry’s memory can be made to The American Lung Association.