Donald L. Henke

Donald L. Henke
Of Dayton, passed away early Friday morning at Miami Valley Hospital. The son of Louis and Agnes Henke of Cincinnati, Don was a graduate of Ohio Military Institute and a veteran of the United States Air Force. While maintaining a career as a salesman – of many different goods and services – over the years, Don pursued his true passions of theatre and music in a variety of ways. In Cincinnati, he was active with community theatre groups including the Pleasant Ridge Players, the Rivertown Players, and the Mariemont Players, receiving an award for his role in The Ritz. After moving to Dayton in the late 80s, Don joined this town's vibrant theatre scene, working with The Dayton Playhouse, Sinclair Community College, Landmark Theater, The Dayton Theatre Guild, KTUS, and Future Fest, among others. Over his acting career, he appeared in over five dozen productions, including The House of Blue Leaves, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, You Can't Take it With You, Crucifer of Blood, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Philadelphia Here I Come, The Tenth Man, Good, Our Country's Good, Close Ties, Assassins, Inherit the Wind, Breaking the Code, Sly Fox, Of Mice and Men, Isn't It Romantic, Dr. Cook's Garden, Four Beers, The Marriage of Romeo & Juliet, Love Letters, Boy Gets Girl, Big River, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, Jekyll & Hyde, Six Degrees of Separation, A Thousand Clowns, and Monday After the Miracle. His passion for jazz manifested on radio when he hosted a long-time program on WYSO-FM out of Yellow Springs and in print as a columnist and critic for The Dayton Daily News, The Dayton Voice and JazzAdvocate.com. He was also a regular volunteer at the annual Women in Jazz Festival. A regular fixture at Paccia, Gilly's, and Jazz Central, Don was known as Papa Jazz, and was well-loved by the jazz community. He is survived by a daughter, Alexia Tate of New York, a son, Patrick Henke of Chattanooga, a sister, Judy Brown of Aurora, Indiana, two nieces, Lisa Laugle and Terri Herbers, a nephew, Rick Herbers, seven great-nieces and great-nephews, and the many, many loving friends in his Dayton family.

A memorial service will be held at Newcomer Funeral Home's North Chapel at 4104 Needmore Rd. in Dayton on Tuesday, September 18, 2007. Visitation from 5-8 pm with a service at 8 pm. All are invited to share their memories. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his name to the Seedling Foundation to support Arts Programs at Stivers High School in Dayton. Donations can be sent to PO Box 1858, Dayton, OH 45401-1858.