Rev. Ed Henegar

1936 - 2025

Edward Henegar II died of cancer September 23, 2025, at the home of his son and daughter-in-law in Charlotte, N.C. His beloved wife, Julia Rorex Henegar, was by his side as she was throughout their 66 years of marriage. His last months were in the daily company of their Charlotte children, Edward G. Henegar and his wife Ann, and Dr. Martin Henegar and his wife Dr. Amina Ahmed, and daughter Rebecca Gould and her husband Warren of Durham, N.C.-- and often their grandchildren, in whom he delighted. They are Guille Henegar of Asheville; Luke Henegar of New York; Millan Henegar and Ben Gould and his wife Frances of Charlotte; Alex Gould and his wife Dr. Katy Hallman of Madison, Wisc., parents of his great-grandson; Sam Gould of Nashville; and Annabel Henegar and Julia Henegar of New York. His brother Henry Henegar and his wife Jane of Chattanooga also mourn him, along with many loving nieces and nephews and cousins from both Rorex and Henegar branches.

Named for his grandfather, he was born in Knoxville, Tenn., October 7, 1936. He graduated from McCallie School, the University of Tennessee, and Columbia Theological Seminary. 

At McCallie he was president of the student Senate, the highest elective office. At UT he won the Greek language prize and founded the Young Life Club at Knoxville’s West High School. At Columbia he earned with honors two degrees that anchored his ministry as theologian, preacher, and pastor.

Ordained in the Presbyterian Church USA in 1961, he pastored home mission churches at Isom and Sandlick in rural Letcher County, Kentucky for four years.

At the invitation of Prof. Manford George Gutzke, he returned to Columbia Seminary for his second degree, a Master of Theology. Rejecting other offers, he and Judy and the three children returned to the Appalachian coal fields of Kentucky in 1966 to resume pastoring his first two churches, plus a third, at Blackey.

In 1968 he was called to pastor Blacknall Memorial Presbyterian Church in Durham, where he served with distinction for 32 years as a “strong teacher devoted to pastoral care.” A lifelong memorizer of Scripture with a deep love for the Word of God, he preached his retirement sermon from memory: the book of Ephesians, verbatim except for one word. Instead of Tychicus in chapter 6, verse 21, he said Allan, thus honoring Allan Poole, his co-pastor and successor. 

In 2000, he and Judy moved to Monroe, N.C., and Ed pastored Marshville Presbyterian Church for 17 more years. 

Throughout his ministry he mentored and encouraged myriad pastors individually and through presbytery connections. His pastoral legacy blessed countless individuals and families who were counseled and comforted in the milestones of their history, from birth to marriage to the grave.

His amateur radio call sign WA4YKD was well known to missionaries and friends around the world. 

A master woodworker, he crafted heirloom furniture for his children and their families—as well as the narthex table at Blacknall and the eight oak doors of Marshville Presbyterian Church. Jars of honey from his numerous bee hives blessed and healed the recipients. He drove his tractor this summer for a final mowing of their fields.

He wired houses; repaired cars, appliances, and church boilers; and could identify stars and planets and birdsong. He loved every evidence of God’s marvelous creativity. He preached sermons, with no notes, in a deep bass voice that prompted more than one child to ask, “Is that God?” It was not, but it was someone who loved the Lord his God with all his heart, all his soul, all his strength, and all his mind—and who served the Lord his God in word and deed and with joy all the days of his life. 

He preached at the Marshville church’s homecoming in May 2024 about the ultimate homecoming, heaven. He was, as always, looking forward.

His final pastoral acts were as grandfather, praying at the March 29 wedding of Frances and Benjamin Gould, and as great-grandfather, for the July 27 baptism of Katy and Alex Gould’s son Ellison.

Ed learned as a teenager to be grateful. When his big brother died at age 20, their father prayed with the family, “Thank you for giving us Guille for 20 years.” Six weeks later at the death of their 53-year-old father, 18-year-old Ed prayed with his mother and younger brother, “Thank you that out of your heart of love, you prepared us for this day. Thank you for giving us Daddy all these years.”

In his spirit and by his example, those who love him thank God for giving us Ed---Dad—Boppa--for nearly 89 fruitful years. We rejoice that he is now in the presence of Jesus, his Savior, the One he served all his days. 

Memorial services will be held at the Marshville Presbyterian Church at 10:00 am on Thursday, October 9, 2025, with a visitation to follow. There will also be a memorial service at Blacknall Memorial Presbyterian Church in Durham at 2:00 pm on Friday, November 7, 2025. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to either church: Marshville Presbyterian Church, 510 N Elm St, Marshville, NC, 28103, or Blacknall Memorial Presbyterian Church, 1902 Perry St, Durham, NC, 27705 or at blacknall.org.

Morgan & Son Funeral Home is serving the family of Pastor Ed Henegar.