Henry Schinkelshoek

Henry Schinkelshoek passed away April 7, 2026, at the age of 70, embraced in the loving arms of his wife, children and grandchildren.

Henry was born in Rock Valley, Iowa to Gerrit and Dorothy Schinkelshoek. In 1956, the family moved to Maple Grove Road in Sunnyside, Washington. There Henry attended Sunnyside Christian School. By 1970, Gerrit had saved enough money to buy the farm on the Roza. They grew sugar beets, potatoes, mint, beans and gladiola flowers. When Henry wasn’t in a field or on a tractor, he was with Albert, Marcus, BJ or Jeff, hunting pheasants, slaying steelhead or evading mischief. Henry graduated Prosser High School in 1973.

Though Henry and Sharon had known each other through their adolescent years, it wasn’t until January of 1978 that a match was struck at a church volleyball game. Sharon was mesmerized by his smile and those bright blue eyes. Their love quickly kindled and they were married in May of ‘79 and resided on the farm in north Whitstran. Briann was born in 1981 and Ashley in 1983.

In September of ‘83, Henry was involved in a farming accident damaging his C6 and 7, paralyzing him from the chest down. For most, this would have been devastating but not for Henry. He took every challenge by the horns. The phrase, “If there is a will, there is a way” was his unsung motto.

Henry continued farming juice grapes and apples from his wheelchair. It was his dream. Always calculating yields, micromanaging pruning’s, water schedules and soil conditions. It fascinated him and he strived for perfection. His best days were farmed alongside his dad, on his 4-wheeler spraying weeds, pulling bins of apples or creeping behind the grape picker.

When Henry wasn’t farming, he was fishing. Fishing was his passion, whether trolling for steelhead at Ice Harbor, salmon at Drano, or walleye at Crow Butte. Being on a boat, with his fishing buddies, wind, rain or shine, were his best days. His best stories were always fishing ones. He also enjoyed hunting and just last fall took down the bull of a lifetime.

Briann and Ashley were his pride and joy (until grandchildren came along, that is). Coaching Bree from the sidelines and reeling in fish with Ashley fueled him. He loved them fiercely and came to love the men they married like they were his own.

As time went on, his deepest joy became his grandchildren. They amazed him. He could never spend enough time with them. He attended every meet, match, game or show he possibly could and was sorely depressed when he couldn’t. Always coaching, always encouraging.

Sharon was his true love. The two enjoyed building a home together, dinners out with friends, cooking, wine tasting, concerts, 4th of July parties and chasing grandkids. Through it all, adventures and accidents, friends and failures, surgeries and sicknesses, Sharon stood by his side. Henry was forever grateful.

Henry was the stubbornest of dutchmen, which was a testament to all the obstacles he overcame in his life. He didn’t know how to give up. He didn’t know how to quit. He simply engineered another way. All he accomplished from the seat of a wheelchair, left no excuses for those around him. If ever there was a time he may have been disgruntled about it, he didn’t show it. He knew God had placed him there for a reason and he trusted it.

Henry is survived by his wife of nearly 47 years, Sharon (Bogert) of Prosser; his children, Briann (Nathan) den Hoed of Grandview, and Ashley (Ryan) Calhoun of Ellensburg; his grandchildren, Ava, Rebekah, Cash, Hailey, Ethan and Gwyneth. He is also survived by his brother Willis and sister Marlene (Kurt) Grafius and numerous cousins in the Netherlands.

Viewing and visitation will be held Sunday, April 12, from 4-6 p.m. at Smith Funeral Home in Sunnyside. Graveside services will be held at 10 a.m., Monday, April 13 at the East Prosser Cemetery followed by a funeral service at the Christian Reformed Church of Sunnyside at 11:30 a.m. with a luncheon to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Schinkelshoek Scholarship Fund. Those wishing to sign Henry’s online memorial book may do so at www.funeralhomesmith.com Smith Funeral home is in care of arrangements.

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