April 6 1935 – February 4, 2026
Richard (Dick) Henning passed away on February 4, 2026; he was 90 years old.
Wow! Did he ever have a wonderful life!
Those who knew Dick grieve his passing but smile considering the long life he lived and how much he contributed to the enjoyment of his many friends.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 44 years, Paulette Lajou Henning. Dick idolized Paulette, and she was adored by everyone she met, many commenting on her delightful French accent.
And in his marriage to Paulette, Dick gained a large, loving family, the Stouffers. Paulette’s son Eric and daughter Carine and 5 grandchildren: Tori, Caitlin, Meredith, Kyle and Maddi, their spouses and 13 great-grandchildren. He also had a son, Tom from a previous marriage. His children and grandchildren brought immense happiness to his life.
Dick was born in Pasadena, California; his parents were Charles Elmer Henning and Genevieve Marie. He had two brothers Bill and Bob (deceased).
He was raised in Taft, California, a small oil town 39 miles from Bakersfield. While devoid of some advantages of larger cities, the Taft school system was consistently one of the best in the state.
He was the first student in his class of 1953 to be inducted into the Taft High School Hall of Fame.
He began his career in 1960 at Sunnyvale High School as a teacher of English and Public Speaking and was the drama coach directing school plays. He was a gifted high school and college teacher who cared deeply about his students.
In 1967, he was hired as a full-time administrator and a sometimes professor of speech and English at Foothill College.
During the second year as Director of Student Activities, 1968, he lined up a series of speakers and in 1970 a series of rock groups for students and members of the community.
The speakers series, Foothill College Celebrity Forum, lasted 52 years until the Flint Center theater closed in 2020.
The Celebrity Forum was recognized by the prestigious International Platform Association as the “Best Speakers Series in the Nation.”
He was very active in the community and served as President of several non-profit organizations. He served for 12 years on the Board of Directors of the Los Altos Chamber of Commerce, was a founding Board Member of the Los Altos Sister Cities and President of the Rotary Club of Los Altos in 1971-72.
He has won many awards including the State of California Community Services Man of the Year, Los Altan of the Year, Los Altos Hill’s Gentry Magazine Community Star Award and the Palo Alto Avenidas Lifetime Award and Mountain View’s CSA’s 2016 Hometown Hero. He won the 45th annual Los Altos Community Services Award for outstanding service and volunteerism.
From 1984 to 2015, he led 25 safaris to Africa. His last safari was a celebration of his 80th birthday in Botswana with 20 friends, Paulette and Carine.
Dick brought joy and laughter to the serious business of making the world a better place.
He will be deeply missed.