Birth date: Jul 10, 1945 Death date: Apr 6, 2019
James O. Henriksen, 73, passed away on Saturday, April 6, at home in Lewes, DE, after a hard fought battle with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. Founder and CEO of Wolverine Software Corporation, Jim and his wife, Judy, moved from A Read Obituary
I knew Jim from 1978 until his passing. I went to Washington, DC on a regular basis and Jim & I would usually have dinner together. There is one thing that I will always remember from our many conversations. He said, "I would rather make 90 percent as much money but do it with integrity." How often do you see this in the business world.
Averill M. Law
I was sorry to hear of Jim's passing. Jim and I were good friends during our Angell School years. I remember we took apart a pin ball machine in my basement to create a science project. He had a special mind for things like that. I also remember that we went to different colleges and kept in contact with each other. This may not sound unusual but we kept in contact by sending audio tapes through the mail. This was back in the early 60s, long before the internet. I'm sure Jim will be missed by those that knew him. Positive thoughts go out to his friends and family.
Bob Luhmann
I met Jim when I was a young CCS grad student in Ann Arbor working on the MERIT network and he was a draftee working for Dick Merwin and Bruce Arden on the BMD programs. When he returned to Ann Arbor and headed the Computing Center consultants, I reported to him, and I enjoyed playing on the CC softball team with him. Later, his presence in the DC area helped Jurate and me relocate there, and when our son Peter was small, Jim took a photo of him riding on my shoulders and blew it up to poster size. It was on my office wall for years, and I still have it. Jim was a warm and loving human being, low key, but brilliant, and blessed with a sharp wit and a great story-telling ability. He was a force for good in my life and as these entries show, for many others. I miss him.
Let me tell a small tale about Jim. Jim took a course from me in discrete-event simulation (using IBM’s GPSS/360) in the MBA program at the University of Michigan in the Winter of 1968. Among the other 48 students in the course, Jim always sat in the back row, paying attention to the lectures but not saying a word, and with no interaction between us outside of class. Then one day, about five or six weeks into the course, Jim raised his hand and asked a penetrating question that surprised me to no end. That marked the beginning of what became our deep professional and personal friendship, right up to the onset of Jim’s physical challenges and his eventual departure from this life. What an exceptionally multi-faceted person Jim Henriksen proved to be. Jim’s precious wife, Judy, has the boundless sympathy of my wife and me. May Jim rest in peace. Tom Schriber
I met Jim, quite by accident, while walking our two King Charles Spaniels. Jim and Judy had recently moved to Lewes and were walking their own two King Charles Spaniels. We instantly connected. As I got to know Jim, I learned that we had a lot in common. Music has always been a big part of my life (including years playing the trumpet), but I was amazed by how far Jim had taken his talent: he was still playing timpani drums in various local orchestras. And while I, too, had majored in Statistics in college, Jim actually went on to become an accomplished expert in the field and start his own statistical research firm. From the time we met, we never disagreed on any topic, something I had never encountered with anyone else. Jim was easily the most intelligent person I’ve ever known, and I always looked forward to hearing his perspective on a variety of topics. When he told me about his diagnosis, he also asked me to promise to keep it to myself. Naturally, I agreed. Over time I learned to admire his courage and tenacity in fighting this cruel disease, and felt we grew even closer. While his heroic battle is over, and I’m grateful he is no longer suffering, I already miss him very much.
Chuck Mezger
Amazing inside and out. I read hisobit and did not realize that he had all of those accomplishments. He was a very humble and kind man and he will be missed.
-Rachel (nurse @ Pulmonologist office)
We were fortunate to meet Jim a few years ago when our son Justin, also a percussionist, joined the Rehoboth Concert Band. Jim's wit and enthusiasm motivated our son to go to practice. Justin thought Jim was so smart and interesting, and he looked up to him. We are sorry they didn't get to spend more time together in the last few years. Jim and Justin would have had interesting conversations as Justin is now a Penn State student, a big rival of Michigan U.
We send condolences to Jim's wife, Judy, and to the rest of his family. RIP Jim!
About 25 years ago I had a chance to meet Jim directly. Before I had only read his excellent papers of simulation conferences. I found a new friend on our first meeting.
Jim was a wonderful person and extraordinarily open to others. I will always remember the time we spent together and the help he gave me. He was an outstanding researcher, producing revolutionary ideas and developing software at the highest level. He was my teacher and my idol in simulation. His algorithms are very famous. Generations of students have learned to use Wolverine products.
Dear Judy, I fondly recall our wonderful stays at your home in Alexandria, your warmth toward my father-in-law and me, and our many conversations on pleasant evenings during past Winter Simulation Conferences. My wife and I recall your stay in Magdeburg during the Fraunhofer IFF’s 20th anniversary celebration with equal fondness. We are grateful for the hours spent together.
Dear Judy, you have lost a wonderful husband and the simulation community has lost a titan, but we all know that Jim will receive his rightful place in heaven.
Thomas Schulze, Magdeburg
I am a member of the Virginia Grand Military Band, and while I did not know Jim, I wish to send my sincere condolences to his wife, family, and loved ones. Once I read his obituary, which was so thoughtfully and lovingly written, I was teary. What an extraordinary, brilliant, talented, and loved man he was to all around him. I hope that in time, you will be able to concentrate on the wonderful memories rather than the hurt and loss that you are feeling.
Sincerely, Alexandra (Sandra) Chappell
I met Jim when he became my boss at the University of Michigan Computing Center --- he was in charge of the Computing Center counsellors when I became a Computing Center counsellor. His wit and common sense were always much appreciated. Later, he arranged for an interview for me at CACI which led to my first job in the DC area ( but like Jim, I left CACI within a year for another opportunity). I remember his love of music, and a well-spun story with a good punch-line, and trying to figure out how something really works, and always, the University of Michigan. And I well remember how happy Jim was when he met Judy in their townhouse community, and how their whole happy story together evolved. With deepest condolences to Judy and Jim's family, Jurate Maciunas Landwehr
