Stephen Henley

Stephen, affectionately referred to as “Opa,”, was born to Lewis and Gertrude (Dreyfuss) Henley in Frankfurt, Germany on November 27, 1925, and later fled the Nazis, emigrating to the United States and settling in Rego Park, New York.

Stephen enlisted in the United States Army and served with distinction during WWII. After his discharge from active duty, he earned his undergraduate degree from Queen’s College in 1949 and his MBA from Columbia University in 1951. He returned to active duty as an Adjutant General’s Corps officer, deploying with the 7th Infantry Division during the Korean War. He subsequently transferred to the Medical Service Corps, earning an MHA degree from Baylor University in 1966, and deployed to Vietnam in 1971, serving as the Executive Officer for the 3rd Field Hospital in Saigon.

Stephen met his beloved wife, Helen, on an ocean cruise in April 1957. It was love at first sight and they were engaged before returning to port. They married in October 1957 and spent 64 wonderful years together until her untimely passing in 2021.

Stephen’s thirty-eight year military career took the entire Henley family around the world, to include stops in France, Panama, Germany, Texas, California, New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia. His last position before retiring in 1981 was as the Executive Officer for the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.

Stephen’s passion was music. He was a life-long patron of the Kennedy Center and the arts. His secrets to longevity were a glass of wine a day and to never stop moving, to which his beloved Siberian Husky, Sasha, could attest.

Stephen is survived by his two sons: Stephen R. (Gail) of Alexandria, VA and Mark A. (Jane) of Williamsburg, VA, and daughter Lisa E. O’Dell (Steven) of Alexandria, VA. He is also survived by 4 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to WETA. https://weta.org/

Services will be held at Arlington National Cemetery at a date to be determined.