Don H. Hensen, 79, of Cedar Rapids, passed away Wednesday afternoon, December 29, 2021 at UnityPoint Health-Saint Luke's Hospital following a brief illness.

The Funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 A.M. Wednesday at Saint Ludmila Catholic Church by Father Kenneth Glaser.  Burial will follow at Saint John's Cemetery.  Visitation will be from 3:30 to 6:00 P.M. Tuesday at Papich-Kuba Funeral Home East, 1228 2 ^nd Street S.E. and after 9:30 A.M. Wednesday at the church.  Don's family respectfully requests that anyone attending the visitation or funeral wear masks and practice social distancing.

Don is survived by his wife of 38 years, Elaine; his son, Andrew (Courtney) Hensen of Dubuque; two nephews, Mike (Theresa) Robinson and family and Greg (Kathy) Robinson and family, both of Cedar Rapids.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Hans and Gertrude (Rinderknecht) Hensen and his sister, Arnita Robinson.

Don was born August 14, 1942 in Cedar Rapids and lived in Lisbon until he was in the 6 ^th grade when his family moved to Cedar Rapids.  In Lisbon, his parents owned and operated the Dinner Den Restaurant and upon moving to Cedar Rapids they owned Hensen's Café at several locations.

Don was baptized and confirmed at Bethany Lutheran Church and later became an active member of Saint Ludmila Catholic Church.  He married Elaine M. Kopecky on April 30, 1983 at Saint Ludmila Catholic Church.

Don was employed at Penick & Ford, Ltd. beginning in the 1960s for 10 years and later worked at Lumberland, Inc. for more than 20 years.  He later retired from DHL Worldwide Express.  Don was a Navy veteran of the Vietnam War serving from 1967 to 1969 and then on inactive reserve status until his discharge on December 7, 1973.

Don enjoyed numerous hobbies, including bowling, fishing the lakes and rivers of Iowa and Minnesota and playing checkers.  He liked to raise vegetables and apples and found great joy in sharing his produce with neighbors and friends.  Don also loved growing roses at his home.  He was an avid Iowa Hawkeyes fan, both football and basketball, and also a Chicago Cubs fan.

Don was a gentle and kind man who always had a smile on his face.

Special thanks to the Keiper family for all of their care and support of Don throughout the years.

Military honors will be conducted at the church by the Cedar Valley Detachment of the Marine Corps League.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be given to Saint Ludmila Catholic Church, the Alzheimer's Association, and Hospice of Mercy.