From 1990 to 2023, Henkels ran his own carpentry business, V.L. Henkels, where his creative talents and attention to detail resulted in architectural masterpieces for modern and historic homes.
A beloved innovative Wissahickon Fire Company member and expert carpenter in the Ambler area who helped influence the method area firefighters use in battling wood structure fires has passed away at age 67.
Victor L. “Bud” Henkels, died on Friday, according to his obituary. The Philadelphia-born Henkels grew up in Livonia, Michigan, and obtained a fire science degree from The Henry Ford College in 1978.
He began calling Ambler his home in 1979, where four years after settling in the Borough, Henkels completed his carpentry apprenticeship and honed skills under Richard J. Meyer Construction in Flourtown, per the obituary.
From 1990 to 2023, Henkels ran his own carpentry business, V.L. Henkels, where his creative talents and attention to detail resulted in architectural masterpieces for modern and historic homes.
When he was not volunteering or helping fellow firefighters, Henkels was an antique and historical memorabilia collector, loved home decorating, gardening, and model railroading, per his obituary. He loved history so much so that he joined the 11th Pennsylvania Revolutionary War Reenactment Group and was an important member of the Springfield Township Historical Society.
Henkels and his family were also fans of the Jersey Shore, but Bermuda was the place they all cherished.
But it was volunteerism where Henkels made his mark and influence on the community. Per his obituary, he was able to influence fellow Wissahickon firefighters with his knowledge of construction and architecture to educate his colleagues on dangers of wood-frame construction. He used his talents as an instructor for the Montgomery County Fire Training Center.
After retiring from teaching multiple fire departments in the county and regionally on his construction expertise and its connection with safe firefighting, Henkels took the love of firefighting, model railroading and construction to start Flash Point Scale Structures LLC, whose programming helped educate firefighters on safety through the use of hand-built scale models, per the obituary.
Henkels is survived by wife Joanne F. (Fulginiti) of 40 years, his son, Christopher J. Henkels (Kate L. Koconis) of Virginia, his daughter, Lauren R. Henkels (Antonio F. Ciliberto), and his grandson George T. Henkels. He is also survived by his sisters, Jacqui H. Wilmot (Robert S. Jr.) of Flourtown, and Patricia H. Gee of Ambler.
Send memorial gifts to The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation at P.O. Box 1776, Williamsburg, VA 23187 with the notation “Bud Henkels Blacksmith Shop Fund.”
Numerous friends and family members left condolences on the Urban Funeral Home tribute page for Henkels.
When you marry into the Fulginiti family, you ARE family. Buddy was as close to me as many of my closest cousins. Judy and I admired his humor, his many talents, and his zest for life,” wrote Michael Paparo. “Our memories together at the shore, family gatherings, and shared projects such as digging up our entire shore house water line for replacement will always make me smile. If you needed advice on a project ‘How To,’ Buddy was the encyclopedia.”
Edwin Grugan, a fellow emergency responder, called Henkels “one of the most remarkable people I have ever known.”
“He was a force of nature. His passing is like a star going dark in the sky,” wrote Grugan. “The last time I spoke with Bud was approximately 3 weeks before his passing. I called him and we were catching up. We joked and talked about his many ongoing teaching activities and how we really needed to make plans to go out to dinner with our wives. Bud seemed to be feeling good and that was super encouraging. We had our own way of communicating, which always ended with a story about someone’s fun-filled adventure or more so, a few misadventures as well. Bud’s spirits seemed high, and I was happy for that as laughter always seemed to conclude our talks.”
Grugan said Bud was always available to fix things and nothing was out of his wheelhouse.
“He loved helping his friends. The work that he performed at various firehouses, merely out of the kindness of his heart, will stand as a testament to the spirit of a true hero, which he embodied throughout his life. Bud Henkels was everything that a young cadet should strive to become. He bled tradition, commitment to excellence and dedication to serving others. Bud was one of a kind, and quite frankly, I do not know if the good Lord makes emergency responders like him anymore,” Grugan wrote.
“To say Bud was hyperactive would be putting it mildly. He was constantly in motion. His hands were rarely idle,” he wrote.
Henkels’ legacy, he wrote, will live on.
“I think if Bud could magically appear before us, he would advise all of us not to mourn him but to care for others as he always did. Let Bud’s perseverance over obstacles and setbacks and his love of life inspire all of us to appreciate our own time remaining on this good Earth among our family and friends,” Grugan wrote. “What a remarkable man gone way too soon.”
