Obituary of Richard Hensley

A Celebration of Life Service for Richard Lee Hensley will be held at South Frankfort Presbyterian Church at 12:00 pm, Saturday, February 1, 2025, with Reverend Vicki Ray officiating. Visitation will begin at 11:00 am. Richard died after a long illness on January 7, 2025 at the Ephraim McDowell Hospital in Danville. Richard was born at home in Petersburg, Ky on September 25, 1941 to the late Juanita Cook. He was preceded in death by his mother and brother Edward. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Mary Jane “Jackie” Hensley; two daughters, Marylee Greene and Suzanne Hensley; four grandchildren, Alyssa Eiden (Gregory) of Louisville, Kara Miley (Justin) of Frankfort, and Damon Greene and Randy Murphy of Mt. Sterling; and great-grandchildren Lilly, Ella, Leland, Walker, and Josie Miley, and Gregory Neil “Tripp” Eiden III. Richard was a 1959 graduate of Boone County High School and a University of Kentucky graduate as a Mechanical Engineer. Richard was a Veteran of the United States Air Force. While serving in the Air Force, Richard was a “Minute Man” with the Strategic Air Command (SAC). He was based at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska where he worked on the ICBM missiles. The silos were located 80 feet underground. As a Mechanical Engineer, Richard enjoyed a fascinating career in the United States designing hospitals, office and apartment buildings, prisons and distilleries for Alltech and Rotech. He also worked on distilleries in Mexico, Canada, Jamaica, Nicaragua, and China. Frankfort architect, Jim Burris asked Richard to help him design Health Clinics in several countries, and this resulted in a long friendship. He was a member of the Royal Cabinet at the King Fasial Hospital in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia. There he designed the Centrifuge for the hospital's Cancer Wing. Richard was an avid race car fan, later racing his Formula One car and go-karts. He raced go-karts in his 70’s in competitions in Indiana. Richard served as a Deacon at Southland Christian Church and at South Frankfort Presbyterian Church. Honorary pallbearers will be Richard’s neighbors: Larry Lynn, Herb Ray, Paul Andis, Rob Carter, and Ryan Siemens, brother-in-law Dave Howard, grandsons-in-law Justin Miley and Gregory Neil Eiden II, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to South Frankfort Presbyterian Church Book of Remembrance or Betty J. Martin L.I.F.E. House for Animals. Private committal services with family will be held later.