Calvin Winston Henson passed away peacefully at Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital, December 2, 2013 after a short illness. Bob was born January 28, 1925 to William and Anne Mae Henson in Commerce, Oklahoma. He was the youngest of six children.
Bob left home at the age of 15 to join the CC Camp. In 1941 he enlisted in the Navy. He served on the USS Bennington and the USS Lexington when it was sunk in the south Pacific during WWII.
In 1945 he met the love of his life, Wilma Sulser and they eloped after only three dates. Shortly thereafter Bob was discharged from the Navy and they made their home in Petaluma, Calif. The first of their three children, Richard, was born. In 1948 Bob moved his family to Lomita, Calif. to go to work for U.S. Steel and there is where Peggy, the first of two daughters, was born in 1949.
In 1950, Bob joined the US Air Force and fought in the Korean War. In 1952 he returned to his family and they welcomed their second daughter, Nancy.
Over the years Bob held many jobs to provide for his family, from driving truck to working for Los Angeles County Sanitation Department, to running a Rental Yard, to maintenance supervisor at Tylan Corp.
In 1975, Bob and Wilma moved to Oroville, Wash., to be closer to their son, Richard and family. The rest of the family moved shortly after. In 1983 Bob, retired with a back injury from Gold Diggers Apples. Bob loved the outdoors, he also enjoyed hunting and camping with his family and grandkids. Bob was a member of the American Legion Post 11 in Oroville.
Due to Wilma’s battle with Alzheimer’s in 2009 they moved to Yakima, to be close to their daughter, Nancy. In 2010, after 65 years of marriage, he lost “his red haired, green eyed beauty.”
Bob married Rosemary Lamb in August 2012. They shared Bob’s last year together.
This past summer Bob had the pleasure of going on the Honor Flight to Washington D.C. Bob was so proud to be a WWII and Korean War Veteran. He was awarded many medals and a Purple Heart while serving his country.
He is preceded in death by his wife, Wilma, both of his parents, five brothers and sisters and a daughter, Melody.
He is survived by his second wife, Rosemary; son, Richard and wife Dianne of Oroville; daughter, Peggy Kowatsch and son-in-law Peter of Kennewick, Wash.; daughter, Nancy Young and her husband Kenny of Naches, Wash. Also surviving are his grandchildren, Corina (Young) Martin of Selah, Wash., Steve Young of Oroville, Richard Kowatsch of Cashmere, John Kowatsch of Lewiston, Idaho, Andrea (Henson) Field of Oroville, Christopher Henson of Index, Wash., Jennifer (Henson) Chandler of Yakima, Aundrya (Kowatsch) Foug of Wenatchee; 12 great grandchildren and one great great grandchild.
A Celebration of Life for Bob was held on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013 at 2 p.m at his granddaughter’s home.
To share a memory of Bob, please visit www.lmfuneralhome.com.
