Obituary - Rolf Emil Henn

Rolf E. Henn, 90, of Sandston VA passed away peacefully in the early morning hours of Saturday, July 5, 2025, in the compassionate care of his hospice caregivers. He was born on May 10, 1935 in Nussloch, Germany. He was preceded in death by his Parents, Hermann and Eugenie Henn; and wife, Edith (Lehr) Henn. He is survived by his companion, Maria Ilch; children, Harvey A. Henn (Tracey) of Hollywood, MD., Rolf C. Henn (Sandy) of Chesterfield, VA; grandchildren, Rachel Henn and Thomas Henn of Hollywood, MD., Alexis Henn and Camryn Henn of Chesterfield, VA and Briana LaBatt and Rachel LaBatt of Hollywood, MD.; sibling, Charles Henn (Madeleine) of Lambertville, N.J. nieces, Bridget Jewkes (Simon) of Rumson, N.J. and Gabrielle Gardineer (Buddy) of Princeton, N.J.

Rolf grew up in the incredibly difficult environment of a war-torn Germany during and after World War II. He emigrated to the United States with his family in 1951 at the age of 16 where he started his journey to learn English and settle into his new home country. He had an incredible work ethic that had him working several labor jobs teaching him lifelong skills that he used to advantage for building and improving several homes. In 1958 he was drafted into the Army where he spent 2 years and travelled to several bases including Texas, Washington, and post war South Korea. In May of 1961, Rolf married his wife of 46 years, Edith Lehr, and they settled in Toms River, NJ. He spent several years going to night school and received his B.A. in Electrical Engineering from Monmouth College in June 1968. After receiving his degree, he worked for General Electric, and then GE-Fanuc, for 29 years serving as a Quality Control Engineer and retired from the Charlottesville site in 1997. In 2011, Rolf returned to Richmond to be closer to family and friends and enjoy life with his loving companion Maria Ilch.

Rolf was an avid soccer player well into his 50’s and loved to spend time with his family and friends revolving around activities with the Deutscher Sport Club Richmond where he served as President and Chairman of the Richmond Oktoberfest on several occasions. He was a tremendous ambassador for the German culture in the Richmond area and was recognized several times by the German Embassy/Consulate for his efforts. He loved to travel, especially to the mountains, and enjoyed adventures that exposed him to new sights and interests. He was the most gracious, congenial, and gentlemanly person and would go out of his way to help anyone. He was an incredibly loyal friend to many people and an incredibly positive influence on his family, friends, and community. His presence and influence will be sorely missed by all those who knew him.

The family invites you to help celebrate his life and will receive friends from 12 pm until service time at 1pm, Friday, July 25, 2025 at Nelsen Funeral Home, 4650 S. Laburnum Ave, Richmond, VA 23231. Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice of Virginia at hospiceofvirginia.com or go to the donate page for the American Cancer Society at donate.cancer.org.