Author: Matt Braddock

James Henkelman-Bahn—dedicated husband, father, grandfather, and friend; scholar, teacher, and mentor; a man of many accomplishments and numerous commitments— died peacefully at home in Riderwood Village in Silver Spring, MD, on August 24, 2022, at age 89 following a valiant 30-year battle with prostate cancer. With him at the end was his wife, Dr. Jackie Bahn-Henkelman. He had entered Hospice a few months earlier.

James Henry Henkelman was born on May 13, 1933, to Wilbert Wendell Henkelman, a civil engineer, and Leora (Holzaepfel) Henkelman, a homemaker. He earned a bachelor of science degree from Miami University of Ohio in 1954, graduating magna cum laude and as a member of Phi Beta Kappa and the Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Honorary, and a master of education degree in 1955. After serving as a teacher and principal for several years in elementary schools in Ohio, and for two years in the United States Army, he enrolled at Harvard University, from which he received a doctor of education degree in curriculum in 1965. In 1981, he earned a second master’s degree, in Applied Behavioral Sciences, from Whitworth College in Spokane, WA.

In 1964, Jim moved to Maryland with his wife at that time, and two daughters to join the faculty of the University of Maryland College Park, where he held a joint appointment in Mathematics and Teacher Education. Over the course of his 30-year career at UMCP, he created several cutting edge programs, including a master’s certification program to prepare public school teachers to teach a multicultural curriculum, and a doctoral program in professional development for educators. He chaired the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in the College of Education, and also served as director of the Office of Laboratory Experiences, which was the administrative arm of the student teaching and field experiences component of the University’s teacher education programs and which oversaw the Teacher Education Centers—collaborations between the University and neighboring school systems that became a model copied nationwide.

Following his retirement from UMCP, Jim became emeritus associate professor and embarked on a new career in partnership with Jackie, providing training and consulting for United Nations agencies in more than 25 countries and for nonprofits, religious organizations, government agencies, and corporations in the United States. The two of them were founding board members of three non-profit organizations: Impact Silver Spring (MD); Opportunity Associates—Romania, which provided leadership development training in that country; and The Center for Emotional Intelligence and Human Relations Skills (Pasadena, CA).He was a member/trainer of the Mid-Atlantic Association of Training and Consulting (MATC) and the NTL Institute for Applied Behavioral Sciences, and was co-steward of the NTL Diversity, Inclusion, Social Justice Community of Practice.

An eager learner, Jim was certified in a number of technologies, including the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the 360 degree assessments of Personnel Decisions International, and the BarOn and ESCI Emotional Intelligence assessments. He was honored for his work as a trainer and consultant by numerous organizations, among them the National Staff Development Council, the Maryland Council of Staff Developers, the Maryland Association of Teacher Educators, and the Maryland Society for Training and Development.

After his cancer diagnosis and undergoing a prostatectomy, Jim educated himself extensively on the disease, joined several patient support groups, and participated in a number of experimental drug trials. Even as the cancer spread in his final years and limited his mobility, he maintained a positive attitude and participated in life to the fullest extent possible.

Throughout his adult years, Jim was an ardent advocate for many causes, including but not exclusive to civil rights, racial justice, marriage and LGBTQ equality, and environmental sustainability. He lobbied the Maryland General Assembly and local governments in favor of legislation related to these and other issues, and sought out and joined numerous organizations and churches dedicated to social justice reform. As church moderator at First Congregational Church, UCC in Washington, DC, he bypassed the polity of the church and opened the doors for overnight lodging for marchers during the first Poor People’s March, led by Coretta Scott King, which demanded an Economic Bill of Rights for the poor—an act for which he was sanctioned by the church leadership. Later, when he and Jackie became members of Christ Congregational Church, he led the way for it to become an Open and Affirming Congregation. He was one of CCC’s ardent leaders in racial justice reform, marriage equality, and prison reform.

At Riderwood Village, Jim became the first captain of the Riderwood Pickleball League; was involved in and chaired one of Riderwood’s annual Earth Day fairs; and was one of three people who started a residents’ supporting sustainability group, which morphed into a Sustainability Committee consisting of equal numbers of Riderwood residents and top-level management. At age 80, he volunteered to be arrested at a Poor People’s Campaign protest in Annapolis, MD. His last public activist stance, while a Hospice patient, was to attend the Poor People’s Campaign march in Washington, DC in June 2022 in his wheelchair.

For more than 35 years, Jim was one of five close-knit men in a support group that met weekly in person and/or by Zoom during Covid. In February 2022, he attended his last annual retreat of the group in The Villages retirement community in Florida, assisted by his wheelchair and the support of these treasured friends.

Jim was an original member of the DBA community, a semi-utopian collective of friends who purchased several hundred acres of undeveloped land in Blue Hill, ME, in 1974. Some members decided to live there full-time, while others, including Jim, later joined by Jackie, made it an off-the-grid summer retreat where they built cabins and a community center. Members of Jim and Jackie’s extended family gradually joined DBA. Until this past summer, when his deteriorating condition made it impossible, Jim spent several weeks at DBA each year.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife, Phyllis Evans; his sisters, Dorothy Henkelman Jarrett and Helen Henkelman Steinert; and his son-in-law Jeff Bauer. He is survived by his wife, Jackie; his children, Jan (Howard) Bennett, of Bethesda, MD; Katy Bauer, of Bethesda; David Bahn, of York, PA; and Brian (Molly) Bahn, of Ashburn, VA; and his grandchildren, Molly (Justin) Bennett; Ryan (Jari) Bennett; Ellie (Colin) Bauer, and Nick, Emma, and Olivia Bahn, all of whom adore him and will miss him greatly. He also is being mourned by the innumerable friends, colleagues, and others whose lives were touched by his kindness, many of whom have shared that Jim’s example taught them how to live. Some involved in his last days also credit him with teaching them how to die.

Donations, in lieu of flowers, may be made in Jim’s name to Christ Congregational Church (https://cccsilverspring.breezechms.com/give/online, select “Give to Memorials” under the dropdown menu). Or donate to the Environmental Defense Fund (https://www.edf.org, select “Legacy and Investment Gifts” under “Ways to Give”).

A memorial service for Jim is being planned for October 29, 2022, 10:30 a.m. at Christ Congregational Church, 9525 Colesville Rd. Silver Spring, MD 20901 which can be attended in person or via Zoom. 

Zoom Link: https://us02web.zooom.us/j/83265716247