Jerry Henson

Jerry Lloyd Henson, devoted husband, loving father, proud grandfather, and dedicated community leader, of Parkville, Missouri, passed away on March 14, 2025 at the age of 83. He was born on October 25, 1941, in Jackson, Missouri. Jerry was married to the love of his life, Sammie (Statler) Henson, for 60 wonderful years, raising two daughters, Sindie and Merry, in a warm and joyful home. Their family expanded with the arrival of grandchildren Matt, Lena, and Katie, who brought immense joy to Jerry's life as he watched them grow and thrive. He is survived by his loving wife Sammie, their daughters Sindie (Ken) Henson-Pugsley and Merry Eskew, grandchildren Matt (Jill), Lena, and Katie, sister Nancy Henson, and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and extended family members. Preceding him in death were his parents, Robert Lloyd Henson and Hazel Viola (Barks) Henson, and sister Joyce Elaine (Henson) Kinder. A lifelong passion for coin collecting was sparked by Jerry's grandfather, Oscar Odell Henson, who gifted him a Booker T Washington silver dollar. This led to a lifelong pursuit of "savers" in loose change, which he encouraged others to join. He learned the value of hard work early on, selling newspapers and cosmetics door-to-door in the 1950s. He loved to tell kids and grandkids of being able to earn enough to go to the movies for 15 cents, including snacks! After high school, Jerry pursued higher education while working to support himself financially. In 1964, he was drafted into the Army as an artilleryman. During his first leave in December, he and Sammie were married, marking the beginning of their life together. Jerry served with distinction from 1964 to 1966, and was proud to have served his country with honor. Upon his return to civilian life, Jerry earned a degree in business from Southeast Missouri State University, before going on to earn an MBA from the University of Missouri "Mizzou". This set him on a path to a long and distinguished career in human resources, where he worked for many organizations and was proud to have helped countless individuals in their lives and careers. In addition to his rich professional career, Jerry led a life of service as a member of Rotary International for 51 years, and was a longtime leader within the Lenexa Rotary Club. Jerry also volunteered his time teaching Red Cross First Aid, Red Cross CPR, mentoring with the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts, Junior Achievement, the Kansas City Robotics Foundation and numerous school events and fundraisers with his kids and grandkids. Jerry loved to travel with family and enjoyed skiing, bicycling, hiking and the occasional camping trip with Scouts. He also loved to play games of all kinds, especially chess, and was particularly proud of the fact that he had played over 1,000 games against his close friend, Jerry Brotherton, during their high school years. He loved card and board games, especially his favorite "pitch", and he absolutely loved family game nights. Jerry's passing leaves a void in the lives of everyone who knew him, but it also inspires us to continue his work and spirit in our own lives. A celebration of Jerry's life will be held at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson, Missouri, on Saturday, March 22, with a visitation beginning at 1pm, followed by a funeral service at 2pm, concluding at Russell Heights Cemetery with full Military Honors. Another memorial service and celebration of life will be held in the Kansas City area later this spring. The family suggest memorial contributions be made to Lenexa Rotary Club. You can mail those to PO Box 14323 Lenexa, KS 66285. Lenexa Rotary Donations