Obituary of June M. Hensley
June Marie Hensley, née Smith, 98, passed peacefully at Florence Park Care Center, Florence, KY on Friday, January 24, 2025. She was born on June 15, 1926 in Covington, KY, to the late Cornelius Smith and Flora [Stewart] Smith.
Originally raised a city gal, June met the love of her life, Lawrence “Larry” Hensley at Liberty Chili where she worked as a dishwasher in her teenage years. She, Larry and their family moved to what was then rural Florence. Both self-sufficient children of the Great Depression, June and Larry were prolific gardeners, with June canning much of the family’s food for the wintertime. She was a wonderful cook, most famous for barbecue as well as her legendary peanut butter fudge and zucchini bread. A kind and gentle soul, June possessed unending patience. In a different time and place, her family said she would have made a wonderful pediatric nurse. Truly, her life’s work was as a caregiver. She provided childcare to so many in the community throughout her time here on Earth; even into her golden years. In their 80s, she and her sister volunteered to rock babies to sleep at a nearby kids center in Union, KY.
This outgoing, sweet and exceedingly likable lady will be forever missed and fondly remembered by all the hearts she touched in her life.
June was the beloved mom of Tom Hensley, Pat (Jim) Roberts, Mike (Mary) Hensley and Neil (Tom Owen) Hensley; treasured “Nan” to nine grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren; and two great-great grandchildren. She was greeted in Heaven by her parents; her husband Lawrence “Larry” Hensley; and sisters Virginia Glass, Wilma Marqua, Laverne Smith and Betty Fugate.
Please come to the visitation which will be held for June on Thursday, January 30, 2025 at Chambers & Grubbs Funeral Home, 8461 Dixie Hwy, Florence, KY, 41051. Friends and family will gather to share memories, find solace in one another's company, and honor the legacy she leaves behind from 12:00 PM until shortly before the time of the funeral service at 2:00 PM (also at the funeral home). Directly following, a graveside service will be celebrated privately by family. June will be laid to rest gently and comfortably at Hopeful Lutheran Cemetery, 6430 Hopeful Church Road, Florence, KY, 41042.
En lieu of flowers or other expressions of sympathy, June's family kindly requests that you instead make a memorial donation to an organization very dear to her heart: St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital.
Memorial donations can be made in person at services or by donating online.
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