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Michael S. McHenry
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Michael McHenry Obituary
Michael S. McHenry, retired Senior Intelligence Officer, passed away peacefully at home in Arlington, Virginia, on October 8, 2025. Michael was raised in Washington, DC, and graduated from Georgetown Day School. He graduated from Amherst College (Massachusetts), attended Oxford University, earned a Master of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, and a Master of Science in National Security Strategy from the National War College.
A career national security professional and Arabist, he served multiple tours in the Middle East and was awarded the Intelligence Star (for Valor). From 2002 – 2008, he provided intelligence support to US military operations in Iraq. He retired in 2012 at the completion of his service as Special Advisor to the Commanding General and Command Group, US Central Command.
An excellent chef, in his youth Michael cooked at the restaurant Maison Robert in Boston. At each of his foreign postings, he sampled (and learned to cook) multiple cuisines. After retirement, he enjoyed taking classes at "the other CIA" (Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York). And he volunteered for several years at the cooking school L'Académie de Cuisine in Maryland. For more than 30 years, he was a member of the Confrérie de la Chaîne Des Rôtisseurs international association of gastronomy.
Michael joined the Glee Club at Amherst and later the Mastersingers male chorus formed in the 1990s by the former Glee Club director. Michael was pleased to be one of the Mastersingers who took first place in the male choir competition at the famous International Eisteddfod in Wales in 2003.
He volunteered at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History (both as a high school student and after retirement). He was passionate about military history, and he also volunteered at the National Museum of the United States Army.
He asked to be remembered by the words of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, "He did the best he could with what he had."
Michael treasured all the friends he made at work, school, volunteering, and hobbies. He was predeceased by his mother Mary Williamson McHenry. He is survived by his wife Janice, whom he loved for 40 years; his father Donald (Marine); sisters Christina and Elizabeth (Gene); five nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Published by The Washington Post on Oct. 19, 2025.
A career national security professional and Arabist, he served multiple tours in the Middle East and was awarded the Intelligence Star (for Valor). From 2002 – 2008, he provided intelligence support to US military operations in Iraq. He retired in 2012 at the completion of his service as Special Advisor to the Commanding General and Command Group, US Central Command.
An excellent chef, in his youth Michael cooked at the restaurant Maison Robert in Boston. At each of his foreign postings, he sampled (and learned to cook) multiple cuisines. After retirement, he enjoyed taking classes at "the other CIA" (Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York). And he volunteered for several years at the cooking school L'Académie de Cuisine in Maryland. For more than 30 years, he was a member of the Confrérie de la Chaîne Des Rôtisseurs international association of gastronomy.
Michael joined the Glee Club at Amherst and later the Mastersingers male chorus formed in the 1990s by the former Glee Club director. Michael was pleased to be one of the Mastersingers who took first place in the male choir competition at the famous International Eisteddfod in Wales in 2003.
He volunteered at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History (both as a high school student and after retirement). He was passionate about military history, and he also volunteered at the National Museum of the United States Army.
He asked to be remembered by the words of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, "He did the best he could with what he had."
Michael treasured all the friends he made at work, school, volunteering, and hobbies. He was predeceased by his mother Mary Williamson McHenry. He is survived by his wife Janice, whom he loved for 40 years; his father Donald (Marine); sisters Christina and Elizabeth (Gene); five nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
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In Memory
Michael passed away peacefully at home in Arlington, Va., on Oct. 8, 2025. He was raised in Washington, D.C.
At Amherst, Michael was an English major and a Glee Club member. He carried his singing talent forward later as a member of the globe-trotting Mastersingers USA male chorus, the Amherst-dominated group inspired and initially directed by a man Michael admired, Bruce McInnes, and subsequently led by our own Kerry Brennan ’77. “Michael was pleased to be one of the Mastersingers who took first place in the male choir competition at the famous International Eisteddfod in Wales in 2003,” according to Alice Crummett McHenry, Michael’s wife of 40 years. An earlier Glee Club trip to the Middle East “influenced Michael’s decision to focus his career” on that region, Alice writes.
Following Amherst, Michael attended Oxford University, then earned a master of science in foreign service from Georgetown University and a master of science in national security strategy from the National War College.
A career national security professional and Arabist with the U.S. government, Michael served multiple tours in the Middle East and was awarded the Intelligence Star (for Valor). From 2002 to 2008, he provided intelligence support to U.S. military operations in Iraq. He retired in 2012 as special advisor to the commanding general and command group, U.S. Central Command. Following his retirement, he served as an independent consultant on national security matters.
While serving abroad, Michael mastered multiple cuisines. In retirement, he took classes at the Culinary Institute of America and volunteered at L’Académie de Cuisine in Maryland. To round things out, he also volunteered at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History and the National Museum of the United States Army.
Michael’s family, with Richard Stolz ’77
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Contact
Nickname
- Mike
Family
Amherst Relatives
- Janice Crummett W'77
Personal
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Professional
Employment Information
Former
- International Affairs ProfessionalSelf EmployedStart:12/2012End:01/2022
- National Security ProfessionalUS Department of StateStart:01/1984End:12/2012
- For Service OffUS Department of StateStart:01/1984End:01/1992
- EditorCenter Strategic & Int'l StudiesStart:09/1983End:04/1984
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Amherst
Reunion Class
- 1977
Graduation Year
- 1977
Major(s)
- English; History
Other Academic
Secondary Schools
- Georgetown Day School
Higher Ed
- Georgetown UniversityField of Study:Foreign AffairsDegree:Master of Science in ForestryYear:1983
- University of OxfordField of Study:EnglishDegree:Unknown DegreeYear:1979
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Amherst
Fraternity
- Independent (no fraternity affil)
Extracurricular Activities
- Concert Choir
- Mastersingers USA
- Robert Frost Library Student Worker
Post-Graduate
Community/ Professional Activities
- National Audubon SocietyRole:Member
- National Rifle AssociationRole:Member
- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural HistoryRole:Docent
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