Joe "Joey" Holenbeck

Joe "Joey" Holenbeck, age 70, died on March 12, 2025, at the Good Shepherd Hospice House in Manhattan, Kansas.

He was born on September 22, 1954, in Manhattan, Kansas, the son of Lester and Jean (Meyer) Holenbeck.

Joe attended St. John’s Lutheran School and graduated from Wabaunsee High School in 1972. He was a lifelong resident of the Alma/Hessdale community.

He married Helen Rife in 1983 in Forsythe, Missouri, and they shared 42 years together. She survives of the home.

Joe cherished his high school football days and enjoyed watching the NFL, especially the NBA. In his leisure time, he enjoyed relaxing with old westerns on TV, particularly in the last couple of years when health challenges led him to retire from his job as a Stockman.

Known for his strong work ethic, Joe balanced his hard work with a love for outdoor activities such as camping in the summer, boating, skiing, and fishing. He had a competitive spirit and thrived on challenges, reflecting his determination and resilience throughout life despite facing serious health issues that required him to undergo hemodialysis for nine and a half years. He needed a heart and kidney transplant in 2020 but was not a candidate, but Joe's strong character shone through, and the physician recognized his unwavering determination and performed a successful triple bypass, improving his heart function five years later.

Joe maintained a quiet faith and never wasted any words. In his own words, he often expressed gratitude for his life, noting, “I’m a lucky man, I had a good horse, a good dog, and a good wife.”

His legacy will be remembered through the lives he touched and the love he shared.

Joe is survived by his wife Helen, Brother Jim (Debbie) Holenbeck, Father-In-Law, Ed Rife, Sister-in-law, Paula Kay Spears, Brother-in-law, Steve Rife (Cheryl), nieces and nephews, Taylor Holenback, Jeanette Gaylord, Paul Spears, Mary Landon, Travis Rife, Kaci Olson, and several great nieces and nephews who will always miss their Uncle Joe.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his mother-in-law, Rachel Rife, and brother-in-law, Nick Spears.

A funeral service to celebrate Joey's life will be held on April 9, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. at St. John Lutheran Church in Alma. The family will greet friends at 10:30 a.m. before the service. Memorial contributions are suggested to the St. John Lutheran School or St. Jude's Children's Hospital and can be left in the care of Campanella & Stewart Funeral Home, PO Box 48, Wamego, KS 66547.