Senior commits suicide; friends say he was caring, unselfish

Friends say senior Bradley Henninger always had a project. He was always busy. And when he did something, he always finished it and made sure it was right.\nMore importantly for his Phi Kappa Psi brothers, Henninger, 22, was a role model, mentor and friend who made his fraternity house and fellow members his priority.\nHenninger, a Pittsburgh native, was found dead in Greene County March 22. Police said he appears to have committed suicide.\n"Bradley was one of the most influential people that has ever been in this house," sophomore Matthew Johnson, a Phi Psi, said. "He did more for this house than any guy I've seen."\nHenninger's father, Harry, said his son had five great years at IU. He said he will always remember his son's "ability to put other people's cares above his own."\nMemorial services were Monday in Pittsburgh. Friends said more than 300 people attended his funeral; about 35 made the trip from IU. Henninger would have graduated this year with a bachelor's degree in accounting and computer information systems.\nHenninger was Johnson's pledge trainer. They spent almost every day together during the semester Johnson was a pledge. Johnson said Henninger was caring and taught him how to be a gentleman.\nEven when he was watching his favorite movies -- which ranged from "Beavis and Butthead" to "Shawshank Redemption" -- Henninger was looking out for his friends.\n"He loved all types of movies," Johnson said. "Even if he'd already seen it, he'd pause the movie for you so you wouldn't have to miss a second of it."\nHenninger served at various times as house manager, pledge trainer and kitchen steward.\nHe also loved the outdoors and would fish, ski and sky dive with friends.\nSenior Blake Pell, one of Henninger's pledge brothers, said Henninger was the type of guy who would go out of his way to help people.\n"He would give you the shirt off his back if he had the opportunity," Pell said. "He wouldn't have it any other way."\nPhi Psi President Mike Stewart, a junior, said he looked up to Henninger.\n"He loved this house more than anything," Stewart said. "He cared about everyone and had a lot of friends."\nPell said Henninger was always busy working on something, usually around the house.\n"He had to be doing something to keep himself busy," Pell said. "Most of that time he put in helping other people. That's what he got the most enjoyment out of."\nHenninger lived in the house for three years before moving off campus this year.\nAnyone was welcome to come to Henninger's house for one of his "gourmet meals," Johnson said. \n"He would cook meals at his house for any guy that wanted to come over there to eat," Johnson said. "The food was excellent."\nFraternity members and some friends made the eight-hour drive to Pittsburgh for Henninger's memorial service -- some of them stopping in Cleveland to pick up IU Phi Psi alumni who knew Henninger.\nHenninger's father said he was appreciative of all the students who made the trip to Pittsburgh. \n"(My son) was honored wonderfully by a tremendous group of young men," he said.\nPell said he heard many of the same things about Henninger repeated throughout his stay.\n"Everyone had the same things to say over and over," Pell said. "He liked to make people feel good about themselves. \n"A lot of people said if there were more people like Brad, the world would be a much better place. And I wholeheartedly agree."\nMembers of Phi Psi are planning a memorial service Saturday. Henninger's father will fly to Indiana for the service, which will include planting trees in his son's honor. Other details were not available late Monday night. \nFor more information on Henninger's memorial service, contact Mike Stewart at miastewa@indiana.edu.