Corey John Henricksen, 28, was born June 1, 1995, and passed away Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024.
Corey is survived by his mom and dad, Lori Dee Henricksen (Corderman) and Patrick Joseph Henricksen, his brother, Alec Joseph Henricksen, and his wife, Carsyn Elizabeth (Rogers), and their 2-month-old son, Joel Joseph. Also surviving are grandmas Jean Monica Henricksen and Audrey Dee Derr, as well as eight aunts and uncles, 10 cousins and one second cousin.
Corey was proceeded in death by his grandpas, Leonard John Henricksen and Daniel Dean Corderman, and uncle Michael Dean Corderman.
Corey was born in Denver, Colo., and moved with his family to Grand Junction, Colo., in 2000. He graduated from Fruita Monument High School in 2013. Corey played football and lacrosse and worked at the Fruita Recreation Center, where he was a lifeguard.
After graduation, he attended Concordia College in Mequon, Wis., for two years playing for the lacrosse team. He then transferred to Fort Lewis College in Durango, where he helped lead the lacrosse team to two playoff appearances in his two All-RMLC years on the team. Corey graduated in 2017 with a degree in political science.
Corey fell in love with Durango; we do not think he would have ever left Durango. While in college, Corey worked at the Durango Recreation Center as a lifeguard and started coaching youth lacrosse. He worked at Purgatory Mountain for six seasons, first as a lift operator and then as a snow maker/groomer driving a snowcat. During the summers, Corey was a raft guide for Colorado Outback Adventures. He loved the river, Purgatory Mountain and his co-workers.
He took pride in doing his best at all his jobs. Corey continued to coach lacrosse at the youth level, for the Durango High School and Fort Lewis College lacrosse teams. He was currently an assistant coach for the Durango High School team and was looking forward to the upcoming season.
Corey was a great kid (young man), everything a parent could ask for: kind, compassionate, accepting of others, smart, hardworking, passionate and extremely talented. Corey loved rafting, lacrosse, Star Wars movies and a “calm” game of cards with friends. Corey will be deeply missed by his family and friends.
Please join us for a celebration of Corey’s life on Saturday, March 2, at the Powerhouse Museum at 1295 Camino Del Rio in Durango from 5 to 9 p.m. Please bring pictures and your stories of your good times together. There will also be a wake on Friday, March 1, from 3 to 6 p.m. at Hood Mortuary at 1261 East 3rd Ave. in Durango.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Epilepsy Foundation. Or, tip your raft guide in memory of Corey.
