John Thomas Hendricksen 1962—2022

From his niece Kadesh Hendricksen:

I called Uncle John ‘Moses’ because he was a very spiritual man with the mind of an engineer. Everyone else knew him as Viking Man. He was born and raised in Seattle. He grew up in a house a few blocks up the street from Gasworks Park, his Grandparents lived in Wallingford. His favorite place to hang out was the little park with the temple structure; he was Norwegian but loved the Asian community. Defiant to the end, he refused to live anywhere else even when housing was offered just outside the city. He and his younger brother were inseparable, living in a tent together and taking care of each other as best they could. He lived a very rough life but had a good soul. He is survived by two daughters, a son, and 13 grandchildren.

My Uncle just died January 12, 2022, of sepsis and pneumonia. He was homeless, living behind the Grocery Outlet on MLK where my Dad (Mike) and my Uncle’s partner (Roxanne) and some other guys are still living in tents.

My Dad and Uncle were both born in Seattle and lived here their whole lives. They have both been chronically homeless most of their lives but always stuck together. My Dad probably won’t make it much longer without his Brother.

John’s Leaf is at Ballard Library. If you have photos or memories to share please post a comment.