William Henley Obituary

HENLEY, JR., William William Branch Henley, Jr., died peacefully on January 15, 2005 at home after an extended illness. A native Dallasite, he was born on January 3, 1920, the only child of W. Branch Henley and Vesta Lister Henley. He attended Highland Park schools and graduated from Southern Methodist University with Bachelor of Science in Commerce and Bachelor of Law degrees. While at SMU, he worked in the school library, played in the all male Mustang Band, was a member of Phi Alpha Delta legal fraternity, Phi Delta Theta social fraternity and was recognized for leadership and academic excellence by election to the honorary societies Cycen Fjodr and Blue Key. He also was Chief Justice of the Student Judiciary Court and acquired a lifelong interest in football and history. After SMU, he served in the United States Navy for four years during World War II from 1942 - 1946, attaining the rank of Lieutenant, Senior Grade. He was abroad the destroyers USS Bailey in the Pacific and USS Noa in the Atlantic. He participated in seven invasions. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal "for heroic service against enemy Japanese forces in the vicinity of Pelelui Islands and was authorized to wear the Combat V." Following the war, he was Assistant Attorney General of Texas under Grover Sellers and Assistant Attorney of Dallas County under Will Wilson, then engaged in the private practice of law, mostly in the fields of Estates and oil and gas for more than forty years. Although Mr. Henley was an independent lawyer for much of his career, he also teamed with others including the firm of Harris, Anderson, Henley, Shields, Rhodes, Bradford, and Pritchard. He was on the Board of Directors of several neighborhood banks in the 1960's and 70's, also on the board and President of the Dallas Day Nursery Ass., Northeast Texas Cystic Fibrosis Chapter and the Northwood Club where he enjoyed golf and companionship for more than 50 years. He belonged to the Dallas Caddo Hunting and Fishing Club, The Tower downtown club and was a member of Idlewild, Terpsichorean, and Calyx Clubs. A lifelong Episcopalian, he was a member of the church of Incarnation for more than 40 years. He is survived by his loving and beloved family, wife since 1950, the former Mary "Mimi" Key of Marshall, Texas; daughters, Constance Rae Henley of Dallas, Mary Key "Marian" Henley Wupperman and her husband Richard Wupperman of Nashville, TN, and Cynthia Henley Ball and husband J. Austin Ball of Charleston, SC; grandchildren, J. Austin Ball, III, Eleanor Henley Ball, Emily S. Ball, and William Igor Henley Wupperman; sister-in-law, Rae Key Ferrell of Ft. Worth; former brother-in-law, Paul Whaley Wood of Marshall, TX; numerous nephews, nieces, and dear friends. Memorial services will be held on Friday, January 21, 2005 at 2:00 p.m., followed by interment and reception at the Church of Incarnation, 3966 McKinney Ave. In lieu of flowers, if desired, memorials may be made to the SMU Law Library Fund, , 3315 Daniel Ave., Dallas, TX 75205. Visit our guestbook at www.charleston.net/deaths.