Community Remembers Beloved Man Who Fell Through Ice

EVERGREEN, Colo. (CBS4) - Friends and family remembered Greg Henika as a true community hero on Sunday night at his memorial.

He died after falling through the ice on Evergreen Lake while preparing for a fundraiser.

That event was canceled and instead the community gathered for a remembrance.

A fence surrounded the area where Henika's ATV crashed through the ice last week. But at Sunday night's vigil there was no mention of the accident or how he died. Instead, friends and family focused on how Henika lived and the people he helped along the way.

In the middle of a high school football field, a community huddled together, the bitter cold overshadowed by warm memories of a man they lost.

"I want to start off with the name Greg Henika," began the memorial's leader, "Our friend, our buddy our pal our teacher, a wonderful husband and father."

For 30 years Greg Henika taught special education at Evergreen High School, and then devoted his life to volunteering when he retired.

Barbara Gutierrez said she and Henika were co-workers for years, and Sunday night she braved the cold to say goodbye to a friend.

"How could you not, you know. He was that kind of guy," recalled Gutierrez, "He always had a smile."

Henika died Thursday morning. He was using an ATV to clear snow off Evergreen Lake ahead of a charity event when he hit a soft spot and fell through the ice.

"He was a wonderful person that did a lot for everyone else," said friend Jean Charbonneau.

The impact Henika left on his community was easy to see at the gathering of hundreds.

"He's going to be missed. I love you Greg," said Charbonneau.

Henika's family has seen a huge amount of support from this community in wake of the tragedy. They ask anyone who wishes to help, do so by donating to a charity or volunteering.