Freddie Hensley

Fred Hensley, 82, of Marion, Illinois, went to be with the Lord on September 24, 2026, at his home after a battle with pulmonary fibrosis.

Fred was born on October 6, 1943, in Highsplint, Kentucky to Joe K. Hensley and Naomi (Brittain) Hensley. He had 5 brothers and 3 sisters.

After graduating from Hall High School in Grays Knob, Kentucky, Fred enlisted in the Navy. He served aboard the USS Kitty Hawk as a radio man during the Cuban missile crisis off the coast of the USSR in 1962 and off the coast of Vietnam during the war in 1965.

Upon his honorable discharge in 1966, Fred attended Southern Illinois University and earned an associates degree.

Fred met Nancy Kay Rhoades and they married on August 6, 1966. They later divorced after 21 years and having 3 children; Jim, Pamela, and DeWayne.

After marrying in 1966, Fred worked as a lab technician for Universal Oil Production in Des Plaines, Illinois until 1978.

The family moved from Carpentersville, Illinois down state to Stonefort, Illinois. Fred spent the next 27 years as a metal worker at Maytag in Herrin, Illinois until his retirement in 2006. Fred was a member of First Baptist Church in Marion, Illinois where he enjoyed singing in the choir.

He was also a big sports fan, rooting for the Chicago Cubs, Bears, and Bulls as well as his beloved Kentucky Wildcats. The things he loved most were God, nature, and his grandchildren. You would find Fred on the field coaching his grandchildren’s baseball and softball in the summertime in Marion and Johnson County, he did it for many years.

Fred is survived by his children, Jim Hensley, of Marion, Illinois; Pamela (Kirby) Crites of Marion, Illinois; and DeWayne (Lorylee) Hensley of Vienna, Illinois; Grandchildren; Ryder (Ashton) Crites of Goreville, Illinois; Krysten (Brockton) Whitehead of Marion, Illinois; Shanna (Austin) Dawkins of Rudement, Illinois; and Isaiah Hensley. Great Grandchildren surviving are Luke Crites, Shane Clerk, Abbigail Crites, Chase Dawkins, Raelynn Whitehead, and Rylee Whitehead. Fred is also survived by 1 brother, Ken (Sue) Hensley of Fort Mill, South Carolina and 1 sister, Sharon Marsh of Elkhart, Indiana.

He is proceeded in death by parents Joe Hensley and Naomi Hensley, and his siblings, Charles, Ivan, Thurman, Donnie, Wynette, and Doris.

Funeral arrangements were entrusted to Binkley-Ross Funeral Home. Graveside services will be held on Sunday, October 4, 2026, at 2:00 P.M. at Cana Cemetery in Goreville. Military honors will be accorded at the graveside in recognition of his faithful service to our country. Those planning to attend are invited to arrive at the cemetery shortly before 2:00. Please visit www.binkleyross.com to leave condolences online for the family.