William Earl Henley

Norfolk-William Earl Henley, Jr., 89, passed away on Tuesday, July 19, 2016. He was born on August 6, 1926 in Norfolk, VA and was the only child of William Earl Henley, Sr. and Elizabeth Shepherd Henley.

Earl grew up in the Norview section of the city and graduated from Norview High School in 1944, followed by a year at the Norfolk Division of William and Mary. Shortly after, he began working at the Norfolk Naval Base as a firefighter and later as a Safety Inspector. Upon retirement from Civil Service, Earl became a Safety Inspector for the City of Norfolk and retired from there in 1988.

Other than his family, Earl's greatest passion was playing golf. Over the course of 60 years, he won numerous tournaments in the Tidewater area, held the course record at Ocean View, and made an abundance of good friends.

Earl was a member of Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Norfolk, where he sang in the choir and entertained his church family on the harmonica. He was also a past member of the United Methodist Men's Choir.

Earl’s memory will be cherished by his wife, Shirley Owens Henley; daughter, Cynthia Henley Albertson; son-in-law, Gary L. Albertson; grandson, Nick Albertson and his daughter, Shawn H. Drew. He will also be missed by the family’s pets; Holly, Gracie, Honey, and Kitty.

The family will receive friends on Friday, July 22, 2016 at Woodlawn Funeral Home, 6329 E. Virginia Beach Blvd., Norfolk, VA from 6-8PM. A celebration of Earl’s life will be held on Saturday, July 23, 2016 at 1PM at Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 5767 Sellger Dr., Norfolk, followed by burial at Woodlawn Memorial Gardens. A reception will follow at Aldersgate United Methodist Church.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the building fund of Aldersgate United Methodist Church, the Alzheimer's Association, or Critters 4 U Rescue Inc.

A special debt of gratitude is extended to the staff of Compassionate Care Hospice, especially Nikida, Keri, and Mike.