James S. Henry

James Samuel Henry; age 88; of Lake Orion, Michigan; died on September 27, 2019. Jim Henry was an understated Gentleman who adored his wife Margaret Mary Henry (Pokojski); 6 children, Kim (Donald) McClain, Kathryn (Arthur) Schrah, Jackie (Steve) Filarecki, Jim Henry, Mark (Cindy) Henry and Matt (Silvia) Henry; 18 grandchildren, Erin, Joshua, Matthew, Jay, Nickolas, Scott, Blake, Laura, Caryle, Jonathon, Emily, Brian, Andrew, Sarah, Marky, Jeremie, Lucas and David; and many great grandchildren.
All in the Henry family agree that both Dad and Marge are two of the most down to earth, kind hearted and caring people in the world. Through their many years of marriage, they shared many unique interests. We remember them dressed in square dancing outfits, going to visit friends all over the map and packing for one of their many trips to places like China, Brazil and of course Scotland to visit family. Without a doubt, Jim and Marge were a very strong team over their 65 years of marriage. This very intelligent and well-honed team was a force to be reckoned with at the bridge table where they had won many tournaments. Dad was also a prolific connoisseur of books. He consumed books like oxygen, constantly feeding his knowledge and understanding of the world. He read everything from the history of ancient civilizations, to whiskey making in the highlands, to the bats of the caves of Kentucky. He was very well read and could hold up his end of a conversation on a very wide array of topics. Dad was soft spoken and unpretentious. He believed that one should not talk unless what they had to say was far better than the blissful peace that was already filling any given room. When he wasn’t reading, golfing with friends, or polishing the finish on his 64 Mustang, he was busy perpetually dating Mom for all of their 65 years of marriage. We had one rule in our house when we were growing up: Mom will be treated like a Queen. We quickly learned that it was not a great idea to test that rule. Dad was a good listener who provided an opportunity for many to benefit from his wisdom, inner strength and experience. It is for these reasons we think he had many wonderful friends, some who go back as far as 40 and 50 years. Dad was drafted during the Korea War from 1951 until 1953 and received special leadership training at Fort Belvoir, Va. Dad had a layover in Japan while on route to the War in Korea. While In Japan, he was pulled from the ranks and was trained to become a math teacher in a Combat Engineering School. It is probable that because he had been chosen to become an instructor due to his academic achievements that this change in plans could have very well saved his life. Upon retiring from the Engineering ranks at Ford Motor Company after 38 years, he spent 14 years volunteering at Guest House in Lake Orion so that he could give to his community. He was a deeply religious man who was proud of his Scottish heritage and was firm in his convictions. Jim was a true example to his wife, family, & friends as to what strength, maturity and calm look like in an ever increasingly confusing and anxious world. He will be missed dearly by us all. Funeral Mass will be held on Monday, September 30, 2019 at 11am at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Lake Orion. The family will receive friends on Sunday from 3-7pm at Sparks-Griffin Funeral Home, Lake Orion. Interment Square Lake Cemetery. Memorials may be in Jim’s honor to his beloved Guest House . Reflections may be shared by visiting www.sparksgriffin.com.