James Henschel

Brewer, Maine — James Paul Henschel, 54, passed away Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018, at home surrounded by close family and friends, after battling a very rare form of lung cancer.

He was born June 14, 1964, in New London and grew up in Gales Ferry.

Jim will be remembered as a quiet soul who was a kind-hearted, hard-working and adventurous man. He loved telling a good story as much as he enjoyed hearing one, and he enjoyed woodworking and painting. He was very athletic as a young man and excelled at a wide range of non-traditional sports, including skiing and motocross racing. He loved being by the ocean his entire life and spent a lot of time surfing, sailing and hanging out at the beach. He was always the first one to go in the water (even in Alaska!) When he was unable to get to the water, he was still happiest when he was outside.

Jim attended Ledyard High School, graduating in 1982. After high school, he worked in home remodeling, eventually starting his own carpentry business in the Noank and Groton Long Point area.

In 1999, Jim joined the Navy and was assigned to the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier stationed out of Norfolk, Va. The Roosevelt was the first carrier to deploy after Sept. 11 and Jim served in a position that was critical to flight operations, maintaining fueling systems for the jets on the ship during a very intense tour of duty for Operation Enduring Freedom. As one of the older men on his crew, he was looked up to by many of his fellow servicemen for his maturity and strong work ethic.

After leaving the Navy in 2004, Jim and his wife Kathy moved to Lampasas, Texas, where Jim established his own carpentry and painting business, Henschel’s Home Improvements.

In following years, he worked as a roustabout on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, as an engineer for a seafood company in Cordova, Alaska, and as an oil truck driver in the Permian Basin region of west Texas. He moved to Brewer, Maine in early 2018.

Jim is survived by his devoted wife, Katherine Henschel of Brewer, Maine; mother, Elaine Henschel of Gales Ferry; father, Paul Henschel of West Hartford; youngest sister, Sandy Henschel of Clinton; and sister, Judy Pena and her husband, John Pena, of Waldorf, Maryland. He is also survived by his stepdaughter, Roxanne Floyd of Texas; stepson, Larry Floyd of Connecticut; and five grandchildren.

Jim’s family will hold a private memorial service at one of Jim’s treasured spots by the sea.

Fair weather and calm seas from here on, Jim.

You’re in our hearts forever, and in every breath we take in.