Henry Gordon Hohorst, born on Dec. 11, 1930, passed away on Jan. 29, 2025 at the age of 94. His legacy is etched in the miles of rail lines he helped revive, the businesses he guided, and the quiet, steadfast leadership he brought to every endeavor. More importantly, it lives on in his family, with bonds as strong as the steel rails he maintained.
Born at home in Glen Rock, N.J. to Henry and Beatrice Hohorst, the second of four children, Henry’s family settled in Ridgewood, a town that would provide the foundation for his education, his first tastes of leadership, and the love of his life, Joan Elizabeth Dorau. They met in the seventh grade and married in 1953, sharing more than 83 years of love, partnership, and adventure.
In the winter of 1983, alongside two friends, Henry founded the TENNKEN Railroad in western Tennessee. Over the next decade, he expanded their holdings, launching the West Tennessee Railroad, and later the Nashville and Eastern. He was not merely reviving old tracks – he was breathing new life into a region’s economy, reconnecting people and places, ensuring that commerce and opportunity could still travel along lines drawn decades before.
With one last wink and a smile for his grandson, J.J. Hohorst, who had long since taken up the family business, Henry passed away peacefully in his sleep, joining his beloved wife, who passed just months earlier.
Henry Gordon Hohorst is survived by his three children and 12 grandchildren, each of whom carries forward the legacy of a man who understood that true success is measured by the contribution of our efforts, our service to others, and the love that endures long after the last train departs. Condolences and messages for his family may be sent to henry@hohorst.net.
