Col. Rodney B. Henney

Col. Rodney B. Henney (ret.) aka The Scarf, Red Fox, 100, The General, The Master, The Old Pro, The Pole Vaulting Halfback, as well as one of the Gold Dust Twins of California from Pasadena, soared his last flight over San Antonio, Texas late December 29, 2020 at the age of 92 after lastly earning the call sign of “The Golden Phoenix" for rising time and time again from the ashes. “Staying above ground” and “Just not setting the world on fire” (recently added) were his #1 and 2 sayings the last 4 years after evading the grave numerous times—the last being 2 major strokes beginning in 2016 leading to his recent demise and rise to be with our Lord.

He was always a go-getter, risk taker and loved his family and friends. Back in the mid-1950’s after attending Occidental College, the University of Utah, he joined the marines and went on to join the USAF. While stationed at Laredo AFB as a pilot, he started the water skiing trend on Lake Casa Blanca with his ski boat and his own handmade beautifully varnished wooden slalom water ski that had chewing gum plugging a hole in it to prevent cracking. Dad loved to dock start with a cigar while jumping both wakes at once. During those days, he was captain of the Sun Valley Ski Team and was invited twice to the Olympic tryouts, and in 1952, he was given a special leave of absence by the USAF to be a member of the US Olympic Alpine Ski Team. After earning several international rankings, he took a very bad fall during one of his downhill races that eliminated him. He may not have won gold...but, he did go on to earn a Distinguished Flying Cross, Legion of Merit, numerous Air Medals amongst many others in the USAF, one being for heroism in a near death-experience when his supersonic B-58 Hustler malfunctioned in 1961. He and his flight crew were able to save themselves, as well as safely land the multimillion-dollar plane. It was then that dad truly felt the hand of God and so related to John McGee’s poem “High Flight”, especially the line “Put my hand out and touched the face of God.” Soon thereafter he became a member of the M-2 Club for having flown at a speed greater than Mach 2 (twice the speed of sound), as well as earned the J79 1000-Hr Club for having flown over 1000 hours as a pilot of Mach 2+ with extraordinary flying skill and proficiency. Out of the entire 43rd Bomb Wing in 1968, he was the most experienced pilot, having accumulated more than 1,300 hours in the B-58. He was in SAC and also served as an F102 Delta Wing Supersonic Interceptor Pilot in the Cold War. There are numerous incredible stories about him from flying jets, playing golf, hunting quail, to being an A-37 pilot and water skiing down the Mekong River while on the extended tour to Vietnam, to growing the biggest and tastiest beefsteak tomatoes in our backyard. Additionally, he taught all three of his children to pole vault in the backyard using bamboo poles which was such a hoot!

It would take volumes to write his innumerable experiences that made many of our lives so exciting; however, his most special time was in September of 1957 when he met and married his lovely wife of 63 years, Josephine Beaubien of Laredo, Texas, and lived at the infamous “Green Door”. Dad loved nicknames; Mom’s was the ‘Bamba Cat’ and she was the only one who could ever keep up and outdo him “cutting the rug,” which helped them be incredible dance partners with a style all their own the rest of their lives. While in Laredo, he decided to make the US Air Force a career and together they started a family. They have three children: Rodney B. Henney Jr. (Paige); Barron Sterling Henney (Cristina); and me, the eldest, Violet Henney Marlowe; as well as four fabulous grandchildren, Joëlle Marlowe, Brooke Henney, Sterling Henney and Nicholas Henney.

He was the last Base Commander of Laredo AFB and after serving as Vice Base Commander at Lowry AFB (so we could snow ski, hunt geese and fish a lot more (ha)), he retired and joined Laredo National Bank, where he was Vice President and Director of Human Resources and was able to spend quality time with family and friends while hunting birds, white tail deer and going bass fishing. In sum, Dad had a very charismatic personality and was “The Master” at storytelling. He and his incredible true stories will be missed; but his memories will be forever etched in our hearts and minds. Memorial Services are pending at Fort Sam Houston, Blue skies of Texas, and in Laredo, Texas; but, will be updated through Porter Loring. In lieu of flowers, please donate to MD Anderson Medical Center, Dysphagia Research Society, the Catholic Church, Salvation Army, Ducks Unlimited, or any group promoting the conservation of wildlife and their habitats.