John H. Tenbrink

John H. Tenbrink, 93, passed away on March 20, 2015 peacefully in his home. He was the devoted and loving husband of Opal Tenbrink sharing 63 beautiful years of marriage together. He was born in Spearville, KS the youngest son of Edward and Margaret (Basgall) Tenbrink. He was raised on the family farm and served in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II and later attended undergraduate school at Kansas State College and later earned his Master’s in Mechanical Engineering from The University of New Mexico. He served 44 years at Sandia National Laboratories where he proudly and passionately contributed to many of the important projects at the Lab until his retirement in 1994. He was a member of Our Lady of the Annunciation Parish since the early 1950’s and was a 58 year member of the Knights of Columbus. He was an assistant Boy Scout leader and a member of the Prostate Cancer Support Association of New Mexico and the Sandia Labs Coronado Thunderbirds. Through the years he enjoyed square dancing, going to the theater and took great pride in making useful things out of leftover materials and fixing things that needed repair. He will be remembered for his deep conviction, his soft spoken demeanor, strong sense of integrity and work ethic, beautiful blue eyes and wavy hair, devotion to his wife and family and his dedication to God and country. John is survived by his wife, Opal Tenbrink; children, J. Michael Tenbrink of Abilene, TX and Julie Murray of Albuquerque; grandchildren, Melissa (Steve) Jabour, Christina (Wesley) Cockrell, Jennifer (Brian) Gammage and Ian Tenbrink; great-grandchildren, Lucas Cockrell, Kaitlyn and Aiden Jabour, and Haley Gammage; and his four legged friend, Dusty. He was preceded in death by his parents, Edward Tenbrink and Margaret Basgall; his sisters, Edna Green, Sr. Clarissa Tenbrink, Margaret Aistrup, Patricia Tenbrink; and brothers, Arthur, Bernard, and Robert Tenbrink. A Rosary Service will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at FRENCH-Wyoming. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 26, 2015 at Our Lady of the Annunciation Parish, 2621 Vermont Street NE, Albuquerque. Entombment will follow at Gate of Heaven Cemetery with military honors provided by the United States Air Force. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to a charity of your choice. John’s family would like to thank Companion Care, LLC for their caregiving services and express their deepest gratitude for Maria, his primary caregiver and “Earth Angel” for her love and care in his last years. He will be loved and missed by the many people whose lives he touched. FRENCH – Wyoming 7121 Wyoming Blvd. NE (505) 823-9400