Joseph Temple Henley Jr.

Joseph Temple Henley Jr. Joseph Temple Henley, Jr., passed away peacefully on Friday, May 27, 2011, at home in Crozet with his family by his side.

He was born on December 1, 1928, to the late Alma Elizabeth Husband Henley and Joseph Temple Henley in Charlottesville, Virginia. In addition to his parents, Joe was preceded in death by his brothers, Carroll, Bill, and Tom Henley; and his first grandson, Ian Erskine Henley.

Joe is survived by his devoted wife of 60 years, Joan Hanger Henley; his children, Joseph Temple Henley III, with his companion, Bo Morris, Charles Timothy Henley and his wife, Sarah, Tracy Henley Barnett, Temple Elizabeth Henley Jensen and her husband, Marc; his beloved grandchildren, Brittany Barnett; Kable Barnett and her fiance, Ben Pluger, Matthew Jensen, Sophie Jensen, Jacquelyn Henley, Brooke Henley, and Steele Henley; and his great--granddaughter, Olivia Pluger, all of Crozet.

Joe leaves behind many close friends including Tom Jenkins of Crozet, Bernie Hall of Norfolk; orchard manager, Arnulfo Torres; and Joe's "Right-Hand Man," Charlie Shifflett. Other close friends include Darla Hicks Henley of Crozet and Jim Mills of Charlottesville. Joe will also be missed by the extended Henley family of "Hillsborough" in Walkerton, Virginia, the Henley family home place on the Mattaponi River where Joe's first cousin, Todd Henley, and his family reside.

Joe was preceded in death by his very close friends, Bill Burns, Walter Perkins, Howell Ferneyhough, and Tom Shifflett.

Joe attended Crozet High School and Fork Union Military Academy and graduated from VPI&SU (Virginia Tech) in 1951. After basic training in El Paso, Texas, Joe was commissioned First Lieutenant in the United States Army and was stationed in Germany.

Following in his father's footsteps, Joe has owned and operated Henley's Orchard and the Holly Hill Farm cattle operation and tree farm, two miles north of Crozet, for the past 50 years. Joe was named Outstanding Farmer of the Year for Albemarle County in 1961.

Joe had an immeasurable impact on Albemarle County. He served for sixteen years on the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors. He was a member of the White Hall Ruritan Club for 40 years, member of the Crozet Sportsman Club, and was a founding member of the Tuesday Night Supper Club, which met weekly on the farm to discuss the major issues of the County. Joe was a life-long member of Crozet United Methodist Church where he served in many roles including Sunday School Teacher, Pastor-Parish Relations Committee Chairman, Trustee, and member of the CUMC Men's Club.

Joe loved to hunt and fish. His favorite trips were his annual grouse, pheasant, and duck hunting excursions to Minnesota with Joan and to South Dakota with his college roommate, Bernie. He also enjoyed many fishing trips with friends and family to the Eastern Shore near Cape Charles, Virginia. He was always sure to devote time to his family. After church most Sundays, he visited with family, trained his bird dogs, and enjoyed reading. He enjoyed playing the harmonica by special request. Joe felt it was important to teach his children and grandchildren all he knew about farming and about his love of the land. In recent years, he was able to spend even more time with those he loved while his son, Tim, took over the day-to-day operations of the farm.

The family wishes to thank Dr. Duong Nguyen of Martha Jefferson Hospital, Dr. Russell Sawyer of Crozet Family Medicine, Dr. Jennifer Shih of the University of Virginia Medical Center, and the staff of Hospice of the Piedmont.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Crozet United Methodist Church Building Fund in honor of Joe.

A memorial service will be held at the Crozet United Methodist Church 4 p.m. Saturday, June 4, 2011.


This obituary was originally published in the Daily Progress.