Thomas C. Hensel || Obituary

Photo: Submitted

Thomas C. Hensel (Tom), 83, passed away Monday at his home with family by his side.  He courageously fought the effects of renal cell carcinoma for the last 10 years.  

Tom was born in Falls County, Texas on January 11, 1939, to Otto and Amelia Hensel.  He graduated from Killeen High School in Killeen, Texas.  A highlight of his senior year was making All-State Band as a tuba player.  He attended Temple Junior College for 2 years.  Undecided what direction he wanted his life to go, he joined the Army and served for 2 years.  He returned to Killeen and was employed by the U.S. Postal Service.  He met his life partner, Sue Hardin and they were married in August 1963.

They moved to Wichita Falls, Texas, and he pursued his education at Midwestern University.  He graduated with a B.S. in Accounting in 1966.  He joined the CPA firm Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Company in Fort Worth, Texas. He passed the CPA exam in 1968 and continued to work in the firm’s Fort Worth office until 1973, and from 1973-1976 he worked in the Austin office. 

In 1976 he moved his family to Paris, Texas, and began working for McClanahan and Holmes CPA firm.  He loved his work—never dreaded going to work or resentful of long hours.  He retired in 2018 after 50 years in accounting and auditing.   

He was a devoted husband to Sue, having decades of happiness, hard work, lots of memories and adventures and a loving father to T.C. and Kendi.   He loved duck hunting with T.C. and friends. He raised and trained Babe, his beloved black Labrador, to retrieve his ducks.  Fishing with the family was a favorite thing to do.  He had many hobbies, including making muzzle loading guns (and shooting them), woodworking and carving, gardening, and blacksmithing.  He could fix almost anything.  He loved traveling and took his family on vacations around the country every year—visiting national parks, Civil War battlegrounds, many beaches, and the Smithsonian museums.  He and Sue visited 49 of the 50 states, having driven to Alaska twice.  

Tom loved his church, Calvary United Methodist, where he was an active member. A solid man of faith, he instilled a love of God into his family and lived his life as an example of a Godly man.  He was a charter member of the Greater Paris Rotary Club since 1976, serving in many offices.  He was involved with several other civic organizations.  

He will be remembered for many qualities, including his dedication, and reliability.  He had high ethical standards, valuing honesty in all his relationships and dealings.  He was kind and had a great sense of humor, usually accompanied by a wonderful giggling laugh.  Many will remember his smile, and how he usually seemed happy.  

He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister-in-law Sharon Hensel, brother-in-law Bob Huffman, and an infant son.  He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Sue, son T.C. and his wife Emily of McKinney, and daughter Dr. Kendi Hensel and her husband Shannon Dyer of Fort Worth.  Grandchildren, whom he loved dearly, are Trace Hensel of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Reese Hensel of Dallas,  Kaylin Dyer of Fort Worth, Hunter Westbrook of McKinney, and Addison Westbrook of Stephenville.  

He is survived by one brother Charles Eugene Hensel, sisters Mildred Hensel Huffman and Carolyn Hensel Hargrave and her husband Nick, one sister-in-law Jo Hardin Higgins and her husband Ray, numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.  

The family would like to thank the doctors who have helped so much in the past years—Dr. Arthur Tijerina, Dr. Thomas Troutt, Dr. Ernie Cochran, Dr. Sunil Thummala, their nurses and staff, and the personnel of Signature Home Health and Waterford Hospice. 

Funeral services will be conducted at 11:00 AM Saturday, February 12, 2022, at Calvary United Methodist Church. Burial will follow in Evergreen Cemetery. The Hensel family will receive friends one hour prior to service at the church.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Calvary United Methodist Church at 3105 Lamar Ave, Paris, Texas, 75460 or https://pariscalvary.org/donate