Mr. Henry Douglas "Blackie" Henson

Henry Douglas “Blackie” Henson, of Sykesville, passed peacefully on the farm surrounded by loved ones on December 1, 2023. Just shy of his 84th birthday. He was born December 2, 1939, at home on a farm in Travilah, MD. He was a loving, funny, extremely resilient and witty man who could also be a sarcastic, grumpy, gruff and stubborn old soul…but all who met him couldn’t help but like and gravitate to him. He grew up one of 9 children (6 boys, 3 girls) moving from farm to farm with his tenant farmer parents, Robert and Martha. His one remaining sibling, Cathy, made it to his side just as he left this world…as if he waited for her to come. His other siblings: Donald, Polly, Charlotte, Vernon, Ralph, Mark and Dennis were all there waiting for him on the other side as he breathed his last. As were his beloved grandsons, Cooper and Jack. His childhood was not easy…always living in poverty, under tough conditions such as no running water or electricity; outhouses were the norm; sleeping 6 on a feather bed on the floor or they simply slept outside under the stars on the grass; Saturday-only baths in an aluminum basin with water heated on the big black wood stove…the only source of heat in the house; “walking uphill both ways barefoot in the snow down the mile-long lane to the school bus…after they milked the cows and fed the pigs”. They rarely had “bought” clothes, but his mother was a great seamstress who could do wonders with a bolt of cloth for shirts and trousers and even the decorative flour sacks for dresses and aprons for her and her girls. Despite the financial poverty, there was no lack of love and family strength, which was a tight bond for their family for the rest of all their lives no matter how far apart they were. He spoke of how they moved so often that he attended 9 schools in 12 years, eventually graduating from the former Sykesville High School in 1958. He then joined the Sykesville Volunteer Fire Company before achieving Professional Fire Fighter with the City of Baltimore, where he spent nearly 30 years. He married the love of his life, Veronica Louise “Nikki” Hursh in 1963. He always worked hard and sacrificed for his growing family of 6. His job required him to be absent many nights and for stretches of time, so we cherished our time when dad was off, so we could simply play in the backyard together or, once a year, load up the wood-sided station wagon to trek cross country from Maryland to Georgia, or out West to Arizona, Colorado, California, and Mexico to see family. In this rare time off, he mostly tolerated our car sickness, backseat sibling rivalries, our begging to stop at every Trading Post on Rt 70 or 66...but certainly there were threats to “pull this car over”... and we heeded it. He also worked part time for his friend, Joe Sanders’, distributing company for over 25 years to earn extra money for our private education. This was important to him and my mother…his wife of 60 years…who had an equally challenging job of raising 4 children all born less than 5 years apart (we were not saints, despite her best efforts), keeping the household and, in his later years, dutifully caring for him around the clock as his body gave out. He carried the influence of his austere and tough upbringing throughout his life…throughout our lives growing up. As children we “enjoyed” shared baths, rooms so cold in winter we could see our breaths, so hot in summer we prayed for a thunderstorm to cool things down, feared leaving a light on (even as he aged, he’d pause his walker to turn slowly with crooked, outstretched finger to extinguish the light before leaving a room). His only extravagance was the heat set at 85 degrees in his later years…boiling us all…as he sat in his recliner wrapped in his favorite fuzzy jacket watching “Gunsmoke” and anything John Wayne at max volume, sipping a Coors Light. We wouldn’t have it any other way. He was proud that his children grew up to be successful, generous, curious and responsible people who cherish their parents and each other and get together as often as possible. He was proud of his granddaughter, Rebecca, and her husband, Nick, who chose to follow his path of professional firefighting. He was grateful for his devoted wife and all family and friends who helped in his last years, including his nephew, Scott Henson, friend Ronnie Ridgely, and son-in-law Norbert Straub…it truly took a village. He will be missed by so many…his wife, Veronica “Nikki” Henson, daughters, Cheryl Stachlinski (Phil), Susan Haun (Jonathan) and Kelly Straub (Norbert), and son, Wayne Henson (Jennifer) and grandchildren, Rebecca Tawney (Nick), Nolan Straub, Eliga “Kaycie” Straub, Benjamin Henson, Daniel Henson, Jonathan Haun ll (Stacy), and Brandon Haun (Joelle) and great granddaughters, Claire Tawney and Lucille Haun and great grandson Owen Haun. He has innumerable nieces and nephews, some of them grands and greats, and countless friends, many who have gone before him and many who remain. Memories of him are mainly of laughter and joyous times punctuated by thoughts of, “man, was he stubborn!” The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 pm on Monday, December 11, at Haight Funeral Home & Chapel, 6416 Sykesville Road, Sykesville, MD. A gathering and celebration of life will be held directly after at American Legion Post 223, 7327 Slacks Road, Sykesville. All are invited to attend. Online condolences may be offered at www.haightfuneralhome.com

Mr. Henry Douglas "Blackie" Henson

December 2, 1939 - December 1, 2023