[Tall-Corn] Remembering Michael Hoenig

[Julie McCullough]

Good Evening NFBI Family,

I didn't know Mike Hoenig well, but what I knew about him and experienced was wonderful! I know some very hard things happened in his life, but I experienced him as always upbeat and positive, and I know about his great friendship and something special that he did to help a child to find and do something that she could still do. 

When I was serving in southeast Iowa at Donnellson and Embury, there was a family in the Embury church who had a child who had gone to school at Vinton while Mike was in school. My understanding is that she began losing her eyesight when she was around eight years old. Her sight loss was at the point that she got into Vinton, but apparently, she was still being tested to find out why she was losing her sight. Mike, who lived in Fort Madison, fairly close to where she and her family lived took her under his wing. While she was in school at Vinton, her diagnosis was discovered. She was diagnosed with Batten's Disease, a degenerative brain disease. Apparently, once she was diagnosed, the school decided it was best for her not to remain there. She was gradually deteriorating while she was there. The talent show was coming up at school, and Mike helped her to come up with something that she could do for it. I don't know if she sang a song or what she did, I only know that Mike helped her to find a way that she could still participate in what was going on around her. By the time I met this   girl, she was probably around twenty and in a nursing home, no longer able to walk, talk or care for herself, but Mike was very important to her and to her family.

She died while I was there, and I had her funeral service. Mike spoke at the service, and I think he was also a pall bearer or an honorary pall bearer. In the years that she has been gone, Mike has been in touch with her family every year on her birthday and at Christmastime, which has been a great deal of support for them. I think that's a very special tribute to his kind and thoughtful character and that he remembered her and her family for the rest of his extremely busy life. May he rest in peace, having lived a life that has touched many lives and for which he will be well remembered.

----- Original Message -----
From: Intesar Duncan via Tall-Corn <tall-corn at nfbnet.org>
Date: Friday, July 24, 2026 04:52 PM
To: tall-corn at nfbnet.org
CC: Intesar Duncan <idsummerlove at gmail.com>
Subject: [Tall-Corn] Remembering Michael Hoenig


Dear NFB Family,
I would like to add my voice to acknowledging the life and legacy of Mike Hoenig. 
Over the years, I noticed again and again that whenever I became involved in efforts to advocate and improve accessibility for the blind and disabled communities, Mike had already been there before me. I cannot count the number of times I've been asked, "Do you know Mike Hoenig?" The technology programs he established at the Center for Disabilities and Development at the University of Iowa are still the most widely used throughout the university. 
He worked with the Stanley Museum, the Disability Film Festival and numerous other venues to provide audio, braille and tactile modes of communication to make their programs accessible to all. Everywhere he went his footprints remain intact to this day, and ease the way for all of us and generations to come. As the ADA enters its 36th year this Sunday, it is strengthened by his influence over the years. 
Mike was and is a symbol for independence, and leaves behind an impressive legacy of advocacy and empowerment for all disabled, especially the blind. He will be missed both for who he was and what he did. Please see his obituary and service arrangements below. 
Michael "Mike" Joseph Hoenig, 62, of Davenport, passed away on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, surrounded by loved ones, following a long battle with cancer. A funeral service will take place on Thursday, July 30, 2026, at St. Paul Lutheran Church beginning at 12:00 p.m., with a visitation prior from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. There will be a luncheon directly following services, followed by burial at Davenport Memorial Park Cemetery.
Mike was born on November 20, 1963, in Ft. Madison, IA, to the late Adrian and Marie (Becker) Hoenig. Following graduation from the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School in 1980, he earned a BA in psychology from Central College, Pella in 1984 and an MA in rehabilitation counseling from the University of Iowa in 1987.
Mike devoted his career to advocating for the rights and equal treatment of people with disabilities. In his early 33-year tenure as a program coordinator at the University of Iowa Health Care Center for Disabilities and Development, he had the privilege of teaching people with disabilities how to speak up for themselves and to help students and practicing professionals understand how to support them.
In semi-retirement, Mike found his niche as a volunteer. He served as a member of the Iowa Commission for the Blind and Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council and as a secretary of Friendship Force of the Quad Cities. He was part of the "Caring Companions" team at St. Paul Lutheran Church and enjoyed volunteering at Hope at the Brick House where he read print/braille books to early elementary school students.
Mike loved life with a zeal which only grew as he aged. He was an avid St. Louis Cardinal baseball fan and especially enjoyed catching up with friends and former players each year on the team-hosted cruise. An "old soul", Mike gravitated toward big band music, classic Broadway productions, and a good stiff Manhattan. He enjoyed playing cards with the proverbial "marked" braille deck, reading, and lively conversation.
Mike is survived by two sisters, Joyce (Hoenig) Patterson of Lake Placid, FL and Janet (Hoenig) St. Clair of Rock Springs, WY; Aunts Rosemary (Becker) Burden of Mt. Pleasant, IA, Betty (Freesmeier) Becker of West Point, IA, and Patricia (Fedler) Becker of Blue Grass, IA; Numerous cousins; and special friend Phyllis Ahlstrand.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Quad City Sled Hockey Association or University of Iowa Health Care Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Intesar Duncan
(319) 530-3635
"You will succeed if you persevere, and you will find joy in overcoming obstacles." 
(Helen Keller)