A memorial gathering celebrating the life of Del Alan Henry, long time Sapulpa resident, will be held from 2-5 PM Saturday, July 25, 2020 in the Great Room at the RiverCrest Event Center in Bixby. A time of sharing memories will take place at 4:00 PM. Del passed away Monday, July 13, 2020 in Oklahoma City at the age of 65.
Born February 28, 1955 in Tulsa, Del was the son of Fritz and Doris (Hickey) Henry. A rowdy toddler, Del never had any trouble finding mischief to get into. Numerous stories will serve as a testimony to this. He graduated from Kiefer High School with the Class of 1973 where he played football.
Del worked in construction as a homebuilder for many years in the area. He met his wife, Angela while doing business at the Stuart Lumber Company in Sapulpa. Twenty years later, they ran into each other at Homeland while Angela was buying Halloween candy. Del asked, “Didn’t you work at Stuart Lumber Company?” The rest was history and they spent the rest of his life “on the go” together. Del and Angela ventured to the Ozarks to get married on November 9, 2000 in their blue jeans and leather jackets. They kept the occasion a secret until it was official!
The couple traveled extensively together, Aruba remaining their favorite destination. They loved horseback riding on the beach, deep sea fishing, hang gliding, and snorkeling. Del and Angela also loved spending time outdoors together, hunting dove at Council Hill, deer hunting on the Gish’s 80 acres, hog hunting in McAlester, and fishing for Striper on Lake Tenkiller. He also was an accomplished water skier, making countless trips to Bull Shoals Lake where Del was known to ski barefooted.
Del loved old-time country music and playing his guitar, an instrument with tremendous sentimental value to his family. His practical jokes will not soon be forgotten by those Del cared about most. He regularly dressed up in his “Jason” costume from the “Friday the 13th” movies, peeking in the windows and scaring everybody in the house. Del also owned quite the collection of fake snakes and blow horns, blow horns being his absolute favorite! He will always be remembered for his “Captain Morgan” impersonations.
The 5-acre homestead in Sapulpa was a special place to Del Henry. He maintained multiple gardens comprised of 25 tomato plants every year, and he also raised cucumbers, onions, and he loved to grow lantana flowers. Del grew vegetables for all his friends and family. He loved his Great Pyrenees dogs who followed him everywhere, both on and off the property. Del took them to the Bass Pro Shop every year to have their picture taken with Santa Claus. His acreage was always well groomed by quite a few Barbados sheep.
Del was a historian, fascinated with World War II primarily due to his father’s service in Iwo Jima. His favorite TV shows included Antique Road Show, Bonanza, The Rifleman, and Gunsmoke. You seldom ever saw Del not wearing a hat from his vast collection. Whether he needed it or not, Del got a haircut once a year from Ray Kirby at Studio One. Del’s life will be honored and celebrated by a host of family and friends for years to come.
Family members of Del Alan Henry include his wife of 20 years, Angela; his daughter, Summer Brooke Henry of Sapulpa; two stepdaughters, Kimberly Ramos-Fitzpatrick and Krissey Duncan; his grandchildren: Gauge Weaver of Sand Springs; Rhianna Weaver of Sand Springs; and Kylie Fitzpatrick of Sapulpa; his siblings: Gwyn Henry-Richardson of Escondido, CA, and Sue Ann Henry-Cline of Broken Arrow; his nieces and nephews: Shanna Silagi McCarron, San Diego, CA; Sandor Silagi, Silver Spring, MD; Howie Silagi, San Diego, CA; Jessie Richardson, Arcata, CA; Lisa Houston Wilson, Albuquerque,NM; Bart Aaron Martin, Kansas City, MO; Natalie Spreiter, Broken Arrow, OK; and his cousins: Johnny David Henry, (deceased). Sapulpa, OK; “Dink” Henry, (deceased) Sapulpa, OK; Jill Henry-Riley, Mounds, OK; Darwin Eaton II, “Chief” Eaton; Sapulpa, OK; Mary Lynn Eaton, Tulsa, Jim Eaton, Longbeach, CA; Tim Henry, Wichita, KS; Stephen Henry (deceased), Tulsa, OK; Jenny Henry, San Diego, CA.
