In the late summer of 2015, the community of Greeneville, Tennessee, mourned the loss of Kenneth O. Hensley, a man remembered for his dedication to his family and his work. A resident of Sunnydale Road, he passed away on Tuesday, August 25, 2015, at his farm in the Kelley Gap Community at the age of 67. Born into the Hensley family, his father was Oval Hensley. For 45 years, Kenneth was a familiar face at Phillips Consumer Electronics, from which he eventually retired. Beyond his professional life, he was a man of the land, finding joy and purpose in farming. A man of faith, he was of the Baptist persuasion. This male U.S. Army veteran served his country with honor.
His life was one deeply rooted in family and friendship. For 45 years, he was the devoted husband of Betty Jo Hensley. Together they raised two sons, Robert and Jonathan, the latter of whom is married to Darla. He was a proud grandfather to Jonathan Hensley, Jr., Casey Hensley, and Hunter Hensley. He is also survived by a brother and two sisters. The bonds of family extended to his mother-in-law, Helen Wilburn, and sister-in-law, Mary Ann Wilburn. His circle of close friends included David Jones, Tony Gosnell, Tony Darnell, and Kathy Bundy, and he even shared a special connection with his pet, Abbie. He was preceded in death by his parents, Oval Hensley and Flora Foulks, as well as two brothers and his father-in-law, J.B. Wilburn.
Funeral services to honor his life were held on a Saturday afternoon at Harris Memorial Free Will Baptist Church, with the Reverends Tony Darnell and Buster Shelton officiating. Following the service, he was laid to rest in the Harris Memorial Cemetery. The gravity of his service to the nation was recognized with military honors conveyed by the Greene County Honor Guard and the Tennessee National Guard. Family and friends gathered to pay their respects and share memories during a visitation held on the preceding Friday evening at Doughty-Stevens Funeral Home. Serving as pallbearers were Tony Gosnell, Eric Bowman, William Ricker, David Jones, Herman Riddle, and Bill Holland, with a list of honorary pallbearers that included local doctors and close family friends. Online sources provided no indication of foul play, arrests, or suspects in relation to his passing.
