Csm (Ret'D) Henry Carrillo

Henry Selen Carrillo, age 62, Independence, Missouri passed into eternal life and happiness on March 19th, 2009 at home, following an 18 month struggle with head and neck cancer. He is survived by his loving wife, Vickie, of the home.
Henry was born September 24, 1946 at Alameda Naval Air Station in Alameda, California to Douglas John Carrillo, Sr. and Ethel Callahan Carrillo, who preceded him in death. He was baptized at Our Lady Of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Guadalupe, California.
Henry was educated at St. Mary Catholic Grade School and St. Mary Catholic High School in Independence, Missouri where he was a popular member of the class of 1964 and star football player for the Trojans. He attended Highland Junior College, Highland Kansas on a football scholarship.
In 1966 Henry enlisted in the United States Army and began a life-long love affair with all things military, especially the Missouri Army National Guard. Henry began working full time at age 20 as a heavy equipment mechanic for the Missouri Guard at the Organizational Maintenance Shop in Raytown Missouri, and retired from there in 2006 as Shop Chief. In the part-time Guard, Henry rose through the command ranks to achieve the highest possible enlisted rank of Command Sergeant Major. He was highly respected by his peers and soldiers, leading by quiet example, and always made his soldiers’ welfare his highest priority. He was especially proud of his service with the 110th Combat Engineer Battalion. Henry completed several humanitarian missions in Honduras, Costa Rica and Panama, as well as exercises in Japan, Thailand, and Alaska. He served on active duty in 2003 and his greatest regret was being unable to deploy to Iraq with his soldiers in 2006 due to his impending mandatory retirement.
As well as being a natural leader, Henry was a natural athlete, good at most every sport he attempted. He particularly loved skiing with friends in the Colorado Rockies.
He experienced white-water rafting, skydiving, golf-trips to Costa Rica, ATV trips to Colorado and riding his Harley across the country. He loved the outdoors, and was known for being able to sleep soundly and happily under the stars with nothing more than a bedroll. He looked forward to going to “deer camp” in Grant City, Mo every year with his buddies where he displayed his cooking skills. He also enjoyed annual Easter Float Trips with friends in Alpha Kappa Lambda fraternity from CMSU, making 37 consecutive floats until missing in 2007 due to his illness. He was also known for his physical strength, the first to be called when muscle was needed, and his mechanical skills.
Henry enjoyed life to the fullest and had countless friends and admirers. He was the life of every party, and usually the last to leave. He loved to eat, drink, cook, dance and laugh. He never said an unkind word about anyone and had an easy-going, fun-loving, generous nature. He loved his wife, his family, and his friends and loved to entertain and cook for them.
In addition to Vickie, his wife of 25 years, Henry is survived by sisters Linda Clark, Odessa, Mo; Dolores (Dee) Morrissey and husband Dan of Raytown, Mo; and brother Douglas John Carrillo, Jr., and wife Carlene of Hardin, MO; nieces and nephews Frank Patrick and family, Scott Patrick and family, Elizabeth and Patricia Clark, Cody and Noah Morrissey, Kayla Carrillo and Chelsea and Zane Williams; mother-in-law Martha Snyder, California, MO; and sister-in-law Debbie Williams and husband Gregory, Sunrise Beach, MO, and several aunts, uncles and cousins. He is also survived by Godchildren John Preston Tharp and Riley Elizabeth Downey, and his second family, Ron & Karen Downey, Guy & Sally Downey, and Kim & Jack Noble, as well as so many special friends.
Visitation will be held from 5-8:00 PM, Tuesday, March 24 at Carson-Speaks Funeral Home in Independence, Missouri. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 AM Wednesday, March 25 at St Mary Catholic Church in Independence, MO with burial immediately following at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Raytown, MO.
Pallbearers are: Ronald Downey, George Riley, Guy Downey, Shane Bradley, Denny Caylor, Randy Alewel,. The family suggests memorial donations to St. Mary Catholic Church or Kansas City Hospice.
Vickie wishes to thank the physicians at KU Medical Center, particularly Drs. Douglas Girod & Fen Wang and their staffs; Sue Cox with Cancer Rehabilitation Specialist,; Mary Moody and SPOHNC, (support group for head & neck cancer survivors); and the compassionate staff at Kansas City Palliative Care and Hospice.
Also, thanks to Vickie’s co-workers at State Farm Insurance, parishioners at St Mary Catholic Church and Father Ron Verhaeghe for their unceasing prayers and acts of kindness, and for all prayers, visits, cards and phone calls from Henry’s vast array of friends and National Guard family.
Although our hearts are broken and we cannot now imagine living in a world without Henry, we celebrate his life and rejoice that he is once again happy and restored to strength and health, and we look forward to the day when we will be reunited in eternal life.