Henry “Hank” Ratenski
Henry “Hank” Ratenski of Brookfield passed away on March 5, 2024 at the age of 99. He was preceded in death by the love of his life, Irene, after 58 years of marriage. Henry is survived by his daughters Charlene “Charlie” (James) Tendick of Hartland, WI, and Kathryn Harrison of Franklin, WI, and son Thomas (Doris) Ratenski of Frisco, TX; grandchildren, Michael (Debra) Tendick of Appleton, WI and Paul (Katie) Tendick of Lake Geneva, WI; great-grandchildren Emrianna and Daxon Tendick of Appleton, WI. Also survived by nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends.
Henry was known for his love of God, family, friends, ballroom dancing, and the Air Force. He was born on September 9, 1924 in Michigan City, IN. He attended St. Stanislaus Catholic Church and completed their grade school in 1939. Henry then attended St. Mary’s Catholic High School where he graduated as valedictorian in 1943.
The next step for most high school graduates was WWII. In 1943, Henry was successful in entering the Army Air Forces Aviation Cadet Program. He received intensive training in aerial navigation and was selected to be one of the first cadets to operate a new secret radar precision bombing and navigation system. On May 19, 1945, Henry received orders for overseas deployment to Guam. On June 26, 1945, he flew his first combat mission over Japan as the Radar Bombing and Navigation Officer. The 315th B-29 Superfortress Bomb Wing, which was part of the 20th Air Force commanded by General Curtis E. LeMay, flew its missions only at night using the B-29B with the new AN/APQ precision radar bombing. Henry’s 15th combat mission on the night of August 14-15, 1945 was the final and longest nonstop strategic bombing operation known as “The Last Mission” of WWII that lasted 18 hours and covered 3,800 miles. A book was written titled The Last Mission: The Secret History of World War II’s Final Battle by Jim Smith and Malcolm McConnell that was the subject of a History Channel television special. Henry was honorably discharged from active duty in May of 1946. He continued serving in the Air Force until retiring in 1984 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Much of Henry’s personal retirement activities have included giving presentations about “The Last Mission” of WWII to area schools, libraries, military groups, and various clubs. He attended yearly military reunions, participated in special military events, including the Honor Flight.
After WWII, Henry married Irene on August 16, 1947. Henry attended the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, IN. He graduated magna cum laude in 1950 with a degree in Accounting and Business Administration. Henry concentrated his work in the field of corporate financial and accounting management and during his career was affiliated with several major corporations like Studebaker and Applied Power.
Henry and Irene developed an interest in ballroom dancing in the 1960’s. They started the Guys and Dolls Dance Club in South Bend, IN. When Henry and Irene moved to Brookfield, WI, in 1968, they were among the first to start the Dancers Circle Club in 1972. Henry served as president of the club for many years. Henry and Irene sponsored the finest American and Latin ballroom dance music played in “strict tempo” at Marcheses Danceland for 32 years which attracted the dancers from various studios and clubs. This was the beginning of “strict tempo” DJ music in Wisconsin. For forty-four years, they enjoyed all aspects of the Milwaukee ballroom dance community. Most importantly, they made lasting friendships over their years of dancing. They had their last official dance at Marcheses in September of 2004.
In 2005, Irene passed away, and for the next 16 years Henry continued his life with dancing, ushering at church, giving military presentations, attending Air Force reunions, and telling everyone about “The Last Mission” of WWII. He liked celebrating holidays with his family and socializing with his many wonderful friends. In June of 2021, Henry moved to Lakewood, an exceptional assisted living residence focusing on memory care. His men friends called him “The Colonel”. He liked dressing in his special military attire for patriotic days and talking about WWII. Henry could be described as a real “gentleman”. He wore a suitcoat, dress shirt, and tie most days. And Henry had fun dancing with the ladies. He passed away peacefully at Lakewood. The family wishes to thank the teams at Lakewood and Brighton Hospice for their loving support, compassion, and care for Henry.
Henry led an interesting and active life. He loved people, showed kindness to others, had a great sense of humor, and a warm friendly smile. Those who knew Henry will miss him deeply.
Visitation will be at 4:00 PM on Friday, March 15th with a Prayer Service and Time of Sharing at 6:00 PM at the Becker Ritter Funeral Home. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 AM on Saturday at St. John Vianney Church, 1755 N. Calhoun Rd., Brookfield, followed by a Committal Service with military honors at Wisconsin Memorial Park. In loving memory of Henry, memorials may be made to Lakewood Memory Care.