Michael Eugene Henley

September 19, 2005 To Mike’s family and friends: We are so very sorry we could not be with you all to share in your grief in the passing of Mike; however, each and every one of you are in our thoughts and prayers at this time. While Don and I are grieving for the emptiness we feel right now in our lives as a result of the void Mike’s passing has made, we are extremely grateful for the time that we knew him in this life as a tremendous friend and we want to celebrate the life that he lived. He was truly an inspiration to us in watching him in his relationship with his daughter Shericka. His world revolved around her as she was growing up and he was so very proud of her. He was especially pleased about having a new grandbaby. Although we had only briefly met the rest of his family, he was always speaking to us so very highly of his mother Hazel as well as sharing with us about other family members including his brother Robbie, his sons Mark and Thomas and his cousin Martha. He personified what an excellent employee was in the time that he worked with my husband in construction and in watching him at work at the Grandy’s Restaurant…always focused on quality and detail while enjoying whatever task he was involved in and friendly to everyone he came into contact with in the course of his workday. Mike was the best neighbor that we could hope for while we lived in TX…always willing to lend a helping hand…whether it be vehicle and tool maintenance (thank goodness for that because Don never worried about oil changes in the several years that Mike was our neighbor), house remodeling or making several trips helping us move to PA (and getting stopped along the way by the police with sniffing dogs because they though he was trafficking drugs or illegal aliens in our covered dump truck), knowing when to just listen and when to offer advise and just being there. His observations on daily events and enjoying the simple pleasures in life…the funnies, shopping for bargains, game shows, naps, cigars, visiting with the neighbors, his favorite foods—barbeque, Mom’s pound cake, Don’s lasagna, Sunday morning breakfasts with the neighborhood at the Golden Corral and lots of coffee were such a comfortable and predictable part of our lives with him. From the time that we first knew Mike in the mid 90’s he was always talking about wanting to move to his property in “The Country”. He was so excited going through the process of clearing it, moving a house onto it and making the renovations and addition to the structure. While living in Fort Worth we could always see that his goal was to move down there full time. The amount of energy he expended going back and forth from Fort Worth to ”The Country” to keep the project moving was a true indicator of his determination to move permanently to his little plot of paradise. But just as important to him (and maybe more so) than just the property was the people that he always talked about…Johnny, Barbara, Richard (and I know there were others…I just can’t remember the names) as well as the relaxed pace of living that he experienced there. As we rejoice in the simple pleasures of life and in our families and our friends, we are all part of a living tribute to Mike…holding onto the values which he treasured on a daily basis…family, friends and the simplicities of daily living. Each of us holds special memories of Mike in our hearts that will keep him alive forever. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all at this time and we thank you so much for your support of Mike and all that he held near to his heart at this time and in the future…including his family, and especially at this time Sheicka and Jeremy, his 10 acres of paradise and his friends. God Bless: Don and Sally Rea