Henley, Susan
1957 - 2022
Susan Marie Henley, age 65, passed away unexpectedly on her birthday, January 12, 2022. Her family will receive friends Saturday, January 22 at the Cotner Funeral Home in Reynoldsburg from 2-4pm with a celebration of life service starting at 3:30pm. It is suspected that Sue was called to Heaven by God to attend a surprise birthday party organized by her beloved husband, Mark Gregory Henley, who passed away in 2019. Thankfully, her daughters Evelyn (Joe) Henley-shields, Angela Bindner, and Christina Henley were not invited. However, they are broken hearted to see their mother leave so soon. Mark and Sue were a fun loving couple who loved their children deeply. Sue was born in Newark, Ohio to Betty Viola (Dill) Walters and Vernon Francis Walters, who passed away very young. Sue graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School as a pupil at the Ohio Soldier’s & Sailor’s Home in Xenia, Ohio. She studied barbering in an effort to be with her six brothers more often. This lead to a 32 year barbering career starting at Rickenbacker Air Force base in Dayton, Ohio. She had many dear friends from ‘The Home’ and remained close to several. Attending the 4th of July reunion for ex-pupils was important to her so she could be with her beloved childhood friends. We could expect any of them at a holiday gathering, attending as family. Sue barbered in the Reynoldsburg City Barber shop on Aida Drive for 25 years. Many generations of boys and men in Reynoldsburg were regulars at the City Barbershop. (Raise your hand if you swept the
floor as a boy.) Sue was
an enjoyed member of the crew in the shop, especially around Christmas when she would wear giant bells on her shoes and reindeer antlers on her head. She was famous for making homemade strawberry ice
cream for the Firefighter
and Police baseball game each summer at John F. Kennedy Park and the many meals she loved to cook and take to the
fire house because she
‘couldn’t cook small.’ She was also an avid seamstress, making Evelyn and Angela’s wedding dresses and countless quilts, costumes, wall hangings, and purses. She was a loyal Buckeye and Bengals
football fan and her final
post on Facebook was ‘Who Dey.’ Sue is survived by her brothers, Vernon, Kenneth, Michael, Patrick, Jeffrey (Cheryl), and Rex (Jan) Walters. She was loved deeply by her surviving aunts and uncles, Ralph and Carol (Noble) Walters and Ruth (Walters) Radcliff. Susan is also missed by grandchildren, Joseph Bindner, Dylan and Carter Shields; as well as several nieces and nephews, including Christopher (Theresa) Walters, who remained very close to Aunt Sue. In lieu
of flowers, her daughters
request donations be made to the ‘AXP Loyalty Fund Association’, 650 Elliot Drive, Xenia, Ohio 45385. These funds support the annual reunion for ex-pupils held in Xenia.