Rodney William Henry

Rodney William Henry, 72 (born January 5, 1952), passed away at home on the evening of November 19, 2024 after a brief struggle with heart failure. He was born in Richmond, CA, and moved to Texas with his parents when he was 3. He was a long-time resident of DeSoto and Ovilla, Texas. Rod was a carpenter by trade. He worked in commercial construction, initially alongside his father, Bill Henry, at the Schwarz Company (later Henry Building), where he completed many projects in the DFW area. Later in his career, he worked with his uncle, John Henry, at The Henry Group, preparing estimates and overseeing crews installing large bakery equipment throughout the US. Rod and his wife MaryLynne married in 1974. In his younger years, Rod had the soul of a daredevil. He loved riding his motorcycle and pushing limits—except in the arena of finances. There, he always played it safe while looking to the future of his family. With the birth of son Ryan and daughter Diane, devotion to his kids took front and center. He saved diligently for their college education, and you could always count on seeing him at their high school basketball and volleyball games, where he loved working the concession stand. Duringschool breaks, you were likely to catch Rod and his family on the road, travelling to iconic American sites like the Grand Canyon, the Painted Desert, Yellowstone, and the Black Hills of South Dakota. In total, Rod visited 48 states in his lifetime, missing only Hawaii and North Dakota. On an especially memorable trip to Alaska, the Henrys panned for gold in Fairbanks, flew in a helicopter to the top of a glacier in Denali, and then rafted down in melting glacier waters. On another unforgettable trip to Colorado, MaryLynne swears a wild helicopter ride under the Royal Gorge Bridge nearly caused this obituary to be written decades earlier. The rest of the family, it has to be said, had a blast. Apparently, Ryan and Diane inherited their father’s daredevil tendencies. Rod was a die-hard Cowboys fan. He passed his love of the Cowboys, and of sports in general, to Ryan. Father and son spent many happy fall Sunday afternoons at Texas Stadium, watching their beloved Boys play. This home-team loyalty put Rod at fierce but friendly odds with his Philadelphia family, a rivalry Ryan upholds with his cousins to this day. Rod and his mother-in-law, Verna Mae Casacio, enjoyed placing bets on every Cowboys-Eagles game. Dallas and Philly folks reading this can probably guess who came out ahead. Rod passed his love of woodworking to Diane, teaching her the basic skills and techniques of his trade. Today, Diane owns a vast array of woodworking tools, including a table saw, which she puts to good use in her home renovations and furniture building projects. From his mother, Arlene Henry, Rod inherited a love of cooking and gardening. He was always trying out new recipes and frequently accompanied his mom to the Dallas Arboretum. Often, an arboretum walk would lead to a subsequent trip to a local nursery, where mother and son would search for some exotic species of plant they’d discovered. Their family never knew what they’d end up bringing home to plant in their gardens. A brain injury in 2007 changed Rod’s life drastically. Because of his disability, he became the inspiration for Friends Place Adult Day Services, DeSoto, founded by MaryLynne. A daily attendee from 2012 until recently, Rod was well known for his mischievous smile and sly tricks. He might not have been the best communicator during those years, but he hadn’t lost his penchant for pushing limits. He could still definitely read the room and cause chaos. Rod was preceded in death by his mother, Arlene Shirly Henry, his father, William O. (Bill) Henry, and his sister, Janice Diane Ramos. He is survived by his loving wife of 50 years, MaryLynne Casacio Henry, his son Ryan William Henry (wife Dina Henry), his daughter Diane Michelle Henry (fiancé Calum Ramm), granddaughter Maelynne Henry, and his sister, Deborah Ann Bowen. He is also survived by many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, and in-laws, one of whom has rarely lost a gin rummy set since Rod taught her his secrets forty years ago. He will be sorely missed. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Anne Episcopal Church, whose members have supported the Henry family for many years (1700 N. Westmoreland Rd, DeSoto, Tx 75115 (972) 709-0691 / www.Stannedesoto.org) . Or to Dementia Care Warriors, a local non-profit organization dedicated to helping family caregivers caring for those with dementia (www.Iamacarewarrior.org). Please include Rodney Henry as a designation on all donations. Celebration of Life to be held on Saturday, December 14, 2024 at 11:00 am at St. Anne Episcopal Church 1700 Westmoreland Rd. DeSoto, TX. Interment to be at a later date at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery 3301 W Cheltenham Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19150