On January 29, 2021, the Lord took Johnny Claude Henslee to his Heavenly home, where his beloved wife Elaine has been patiently awaiting his arrival for the last eight years. They are now reunited in love for eternity. Johnny passed away suddenly, at the age of 80, at TMC Hospital in Denison. He leaves behind his cherished family, his "adopted" children, and his friends to cherish his memory.
Johnny was born on March 12, 1940, in Denison, Texas, to parents Clyde Henslee, Sr. and Octavene "Octi" (Riley) Henslee. He married the love of his life, his soul mate, Elaine Waymire, on May 24, 1963, in Durant, Oklahoma. They enjoyed 49+ years of a loving and faithful marriage until her passing in May of 2013. One of Johnny's great pleasures in life was taking care of Elaine, doting on her, and attending to her every need throughout their marriage. He had missed her terribly since her passing eight years ago.
Johnny & Elaine put down roots in Denison and never left. They created a family with the birth of their sons Staph, Clay, and Keith. He grew up in a large family, with 4 brothers and 2 sisters, when times were tough. He learned the value and the importance of hard work to support a family. He left school at a young age to work, mostly out of necessity. There were many years when he worked multiple jobs at once – those included working at the Yellow Jacket Boat Company, a service station, and the Denison Housing Authority. Along the way, he found a trade that he absolutely excelled at – painting. He owned & operated Henslee Painting for almost 60 years. When it came to painting, he was the man, the myth, the legend…arguably the best painter in Grayson County! His sons Staph & Clay worked side by side with him for many years. Johnny worked hard his entire life, even unloading and hauling firewood with Keith the weekend before his passing.
Johnny's greatest loves in life were his family, fishing, hunting, and painting. Johnny wasn't just a wonderful dad to Staph, Clay, and Keith…he was also an influential father-figure to many of their friends. The boys grew up in the Northern Hills neighborhood in Denison, where Johnny was a parental figure and helped raise the "Red River Boys." He had a positive impact on the lives of Ronnie Abston, Bobby Beacht, Tate Dobbs, Jerry Don Miller, Duane Miller, and Mike Stone. He unofficially "adopted" all of these boys into his family and was proud to be a part of their lives. He taught them, he inspired them, and he loved them…and they in turn loved him. Later in life, he loved being "Papa" to his grandkids. Johnny taught his sons to fish, to hunt, and to live off the land. They enjoyed doing these things together, and they are passions they all continue to share. The boys have great childhood memories of camping at Willafa Woods on Lake Texoma with their mom & dad, along with their Mamaw and Papaw. They would camp at the lake in a tent for a month every summer and loved every minute of it!
When he wasn't working, Johnny was an avid Dallas Cowboys fan. He watched them every weekend, through thick and thin (and there's been a lot of "thin" the last 20+ years)!! He enjoyed watching both pro and college football, as well as the news. When the boys were in school, he loved watching them play football. One of his guilty pleasures was sweets, and he always had cookies and candy on hand for a quick treat. He & Elaine enjoyed taking short road trips to Bossier City; they also enjoyed the occasional trip to Choctaw. Johnny lived a happy and humble life and was rich in all things that matter.
Left to cherish many great memories are his beloved children & their spouses: Staph & Amy, Clay & Suzanne, and Keith & Janice. His loving and loved grandchildren: Samantha, Jacob, Eliesha, Nicole, Lydia, Colton, and Garrison. He has one surviving sibling, his brother Jim. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers Tom, Ray Gene, and Clyde Jr, and his sisters Margie Henslee Arthur and Marjory Janis Henslee. He is also survived by a very special life-long family friend, Connie Miller.