August 21 Operation LOVE Funeral For “Houseless” Navy Veteran, Douglas A. Henke
Symonds-Madison Funeral Home and Nationwide Chaplains Veterans Fund Invite Public to Attend August 21 Operation LOVE Funeral For “Houseless” Navy Veteran, Douglas A. Henke
Graveside Service August 21, 2020 at Bluff City Cemetery
Navy Veteran, Douglas A. Henke
Elgin, Ill. – Symonds-Madison Funeral Home and Nationwide Chaplains Services invites the community to attend the Operation LOVE funeral for “Houseless” Navy Veteran Douglas A. Henke of Elgin at 10:30a.m. August 21, 2020 at Bluff City Cemetery, 945 Bluff City Blvd, Elgin. Mourners can RSVP on Facebook.
“The mission of Operation LOVE is to ensure no veteran is forgotten,” said Daniel Symonds, Owner and Funeral Director at Symonds-Madison Funeral Home. “Doug Henke preferred to be called “houseless” and was well-known in our community through his blog, Arthur: Notes from the edge. We invite all who knew him, and even those who didn’t, to join us to say a final goodbye.”
About Doug Henke: Henke served in the U.S. Navy 1982 -1983, where he studied Nuclear Power. Although he was honorably discharged, he did not meet the two-year active duty requirement to qualify for burial in a VA Cemetery. Henke is still eligible to receive military funeral honors, which will be rendered at the service.
Henke’s flag will be displayed at Symonds-Madison Funeral Home in permanent remembrance of his service to our nation.
Funeral services will be provided by Nationwide Chaplain Services (NCS) who started the Veterans Fund to help cover funeral expenses. NCS President Rev. Tim Perry and NCS Chaplain Dr. Al Keating will preside over the services. Dr. Keating serves as an NCS Chaplain at the Elgin Police Department.
Henke’s complete obituary can be viewed on the Symonds-Madison website.
Thank You to All Who Donated
Symonds-Madison Funeral Home and Nationwide Chaplain Services Veterans Fund offer special thanks to the following community members who donated to the to cover cemetery costs for Henke’s interment: Christopher Benjamin – owner of Dennis Curtis Boiler & Sales, True Patriots Care, EMS RoadDocs, Deb Hubry, and Jen & Travis Traub.
Symonds-Madison Funeral Home and Nationwide Chaplain Services Veterans Fund also offer special thanks to all those funeral industry professionals who donated their professional services and time and talents to make this funeral service possible, including: Kane County Coroner Rob Russell, Twin Pines Crematory, Professional Cemetery Services, Michelotti Memorial Engraving, Memories in the Making, and our many local volunteers from Operation L.O.V.E.
If you would like to support the Nationwide Chaplains Veterans Fund’s efforts to provide funerals for local veterans in need, please go to http://www.emergencyresponsechaplainservices.org and select the green donate button, noting “Veterans” in the memo box.
About Operation LOVE
Operation LOVE is a project to connect volunteers with local veterans in-need that was inspired by the outpouring of support at the January 29, 2020 funeral for Elgin “unclaimed veteran” John James Murphy. Hundreds of mourners attended the funeral service and interment at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery.
The “LOVE” in Operation LOVE stands for “Love Our Veterans Elgin.” The mission of Operation LOVE is to HONOR “unclaimed” veterans at their funerals, CONNECT volunteers with Elgin area veterans in need, and STRENGTHEN existing Elgin area veterans’ service organizations by promoting their events, volunteer opportunities and fundraisers.
Volunteers interested in serving local veterans by joining Operation LOVE can complete a volunteer registration form at http://bit.ly/OperationLOVE. They are encouraged to also join the project’s Facebook group, which can be found at the funeral home’s business page, www.facebook.com/symondsmadison. Volunteer opportunities and local events hosted by veteran-focused nonprofits are regularly shared in the group.
Local veterans organizations or businesses that serve Elgin area veterans and have a need for volunteer support can contact Joy Symonds to get involved, 847-741-1128.
At Symonds-Madison Funeral Home we believe every funeral should be as special as the person it honors. We are a veteran and family-owned funeral home that thrives on helping you create a final, heartfelt experience that exceeds your expectations, regardless of budget. Visit our website at www.symondsmadison.com or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/symondsmadison.
