Bill Henry

William "Bill" Henry was born on Saint Patrick's Day, March 17, 1928, in Detroit Michigan and passed peacefully on January 7, 2024, in Bishop, California in his sleep at the age of 95. Bill and his wife Jackie were married for 69 years and had four children: Sue Martin, Joni Plaehn, Gary Henry, and Diane Walsh.Over his life he enjoyed gymnastics, surfing, snorkeling, water skiing, snow skiing, sailing, fishing, hiking, camping, and golfing. He volunteered for the Altadena Mountain Rescue Team for 10 years. After attaining the rank of Eagle Scout, he was the assistant Scoutmaster for Troop 5 in Pasadena and Troop 4 in La Jolla. Bill and Jackie spent the last 40 years living first in Mammoth Lakes and finally Bishop.Bill was a true adventurer and outdoorsman and loved to share it with everyone. He had a positive impact on hundreds of peoples' lives through his school teaching, private summer day camps, ski trips, and 11-day High Sierra pack trips out of June Lake, where the packers still refer to "Bill Henry's" campground. He always had a positive attitude, an ear-to-ear grin, a contagious laugh, and a twinkle in his eye. Everywhere he went he made instant friends and if you are reading this, you could be one of them!Bill was an Army veteran during the Korean War period. After his service in Korea, he graduated from USC and taught 6th grade in the Pasadena and San Diego school districts for 30 years. In his classrooms, he always had a fish tank or a terrarium with snakes, lizards, tarantulas, etc. He taught students to appreciate and respect all creatures.In his summer day camps in Pasadena and La Jolla, he introduced kids to archery, riflery, horseback riding, swimming, and how to enjoy the outdoors. During winter and spring breaks he taught kids how to snow ski. He snow skied from age 14 to 87. In the 1940s he rode McGee Mountain's first permanent rope tow in the Eastern Sierra set up by Dave McCoy. Dave would also take him and other skiers up to Mammoth Mountain on a snow cat when all they had at this time was a rope tow.He loved to share stories of his wild adventures and of many interesting things in his collections of animal skulls, rocks, insects, and old bottles. Being born on St. Patrick's Day, he always seemed to have the luck of the Irish. If you ever had the opportunity to go exploring with him it was always like a treasure hunt, trying to find that "Pot of Gold"!Bill Henry's optimistic, helpful, and kind nature made the world a better place. It was a privilege to have known him, and we'll try to pay it forward. He was a great man who will be truly missed by all. Ode to the Great Adventurer, by eldest grandchild, Hayley -Outside was where he preferred to reside,The mountains majesty were the walls of his house,The desert, full of curiosities and treasures, was his floor.If there was snow, he would glide down it effortlessly,If there was a lake, he would fish it, all day long,Till he caught, 'the big one!'I thought there'd be lots of people like Opa when I grew up and got out into theworld,With his childlike sense of wonder, his laughter, his play, his warmth.There wasn't.In fact, I have never found anyone quite like him.He truly was, one of a kind.Every friend he made, he kept,Every person he touched, never forgot him.My grandfather was not famous,Not in the movie star sense,But he was famous in the truest of ways,He left his mark on this world and on people, real people.He was the rarest of gemstones, in this vast planet full of rhinestones.He was a teacher by profession,But his teachings went beyond the classroom.He knew so many strange, odd and wonderful facts about so much,An absolute well of knowledge about the natural world.A true lover of the mystery and wonder of this earth,Of all the plants, animals, stones, mountains, clearings, lakes, rivers.Whenever I come across some old purple glass, or an arrowhead, or an odd lookingrock,I can hear his voice describing it, I can see his hands flipping it over, observing it.I can hear his voice even now and I know it will carry on,I know he will carry on, through all of us.Days before he passed, he kept waking from his dreams,He'd wake up and put on his hiking boots,Always ready to go, always ready for that next adventure,This time it would be into the great beyond, the ultimate unknown.He truly loved life, I have never met someone so in love with living.He made the human experience look easy, which we all know, it's not.Yet he did it with grace, all the way through, till his 95th year on this planet.I can only hope the next realm can keep up with his enthusiasm.Rest in Peace isn't right for this special human, so I'll leave it at,Rest in AdventureMy sweet, sweet Opa.