Harrell Lee Henson, Jr

Harrell Lee Henson, Jr. passed into his New Life on Wednesday, December 26, 2018, at the age of 88. He was born on June 30, 1930 and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, the son of Harrell L. Henson and Juanita Adams Henson, both deceased. Harrell’s life was marked at an early age by a strong, work ethic. He grew up in North Birmingham, a child of the Depression, in housing provided by American Cast Iron and Pipe Co. (ACIPCO) where both his father and grandfather were moulders in the iron foundry. Harrell began his work life with a paper route of 110 customers. He handled this route for five years which required him every day of the week to ride his bicycle six miles in the early morning to pick up the papers, and then ride back to his ACIPCO neighborhood to deliver the papers, all the while peddling up and down hills, balancing the weight of the papers on one shoulder while leaving one hand free to throw them. The Sunday edition was so heavy that he had to make the trip twice. During this time, he was also active in the Boy Scouts, and was awarded the prestigious Eagle Scout badge in 1945.

Harrell’s father was a quiet man with a sharp mind who performed meticulous, complicated calculations in the foundry. He was also very frugal and did not believe in “spoiling the child.” If you needed money, you had to earn it. So Harrell worked with Alabama Power for two years after high school to scrape together enough tuition to enroll at the University of Alabama. He also served in the U.S. Navy Reserves, attending boot camp at the Navy Training Center in Great Lakes, Illinois and serving time at sea on the great battleship, USS MISSOURI. He would often relate the following when any of his sons asked for money: “When I left home to go to college, my belongings were packed in a cardboard Campbell soup box, tied with a rope and I was handed a Greyhound bus ticket to Tuscaloosa.”

Finally arriving at the University of Alabama, Harrell was enrolled in the ROTC program and he realized his dream when he was selected for flight school in the U.S. Air Force. This dream was thwarted by his medical history of a thyroid condition, so Harrell finished his military service in the U.S. Army Reserves, having the distinction of completing basic training in each of the Navy, Air Force and Army, instilling in him a great love of his country. He also managed to obtain his civilian pilot’s license.

After completing his commitment to the U.S. Army, Harrell returned to the University of Alabama, graduating in 1956 with a degree in accounting. It was there that he met and married his college sweetheart and love of his life, Jeannine Williamson, in 1955.

In his senior year at ‘Bama, Harrell was recruited by a new and upcoming company called IBM. After extensive training, he was sent to Orlando, Florida, an unfamiliar town of about 35,000 in 1957. During the course of the next ten years, Harrell was instrumental in bringing Orlando businesses and local government into the computer age. He was responsible for the installation of the first computerized systems for the City of Orlando and Orange County governments, Orlando Utilities Commission, Minute Maid, First National Bank (now SunTrust), Allen Drug Company and numerous other clients in the Central Florida area. The main frame computers that were installed filled an entire room and the data was imprinted on “punch cards.” His work resulted in IBM receiving numerous awards.

In those days, to advance with IBM you had to be willing to move often. But, Harrell and Jeannine’s life were blessed with the birth of five boys. So Harrell left IBM, but continued to work in the computer field until his retirement in 1990. Even in retirement, he continued to work, both as a skycap at Orlando International Airport and at Publix.

Harrell was gifted with many talents and abilities. He was a master model builder, great photographer, prolific gardener, accomplished chef, and a skilled Mr. Fixit. His workbench was always lined with things needing to be fixed and he could be counted upon to help his grandchildren with their various school projects.

Harrell is survived by his wife of 63 years, Jeannine, his son, Hal Henson III and his two sons, Mason and R. Alexander (Alex); his son Greg Henson; his son Kent Henson and his wife Holly Henson and their two sons, Cameron and Connor; his son Jeffrey Henson and his wife Karen Henson and their three children, Andrew Henson and his wife Sydney, Katie Peacock and her husband Scott Peacock and Marie Henson and her fiancée Perry Davis; and Phillip Henson and his wife Linda and their son, Blake and daughter, Samantha. Harrell is also survived by his sister, Linda Hobby, and her husband, Paul Hobby.

There was a celebration of the life of Harrell Henson on Saturday, December 29, 2018 at Dover Shores Baptist Church, 551 Gaston Foster Road, Orlando, Florida.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial gifts be made to the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, P.O. Box 1776, Williamsburg, VA 23187-1776, the American Lung Association or your charity of choice.

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