James Russell Henry

A native of Athens, GA, he attended public school from elementary to his bachelor’s at the University of Georgia in 1962, where he majored in history and was a member of the university's ROTC program and Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. He was commissioned in 1962 as 2nd Lt. in the US Army and served in the Reserve until his honorable discharge in 1968.

Jim graduated from the Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, VA with a master’s in Divinity in 1965 and received his Doctor of Ministry in 1987. He also received a M. Ed (Agency in Counseling) in 1997 from Lynchburg College.

During his ministry, he had served in the Diocese of Atlanta, Virginia, Southwest Virginia, and Southern Virginia. His first churches were in the Northern Georgia Mountains; next as an assistant rector of his home church, Emmanuel Church in Athens, GA. In 1969, he moved on to Mineral, Louisa, plus two smaller churches in Louisa Co., VA. He then became assistant rector at St. Paul's (Old Town Alexandria) in 1970, where he remained until he received a call to St. John's, Bedford, VA for 10 years. He retired after being in Roanoke, VA as assistant rector. In 1997 he became a full time family counselor with the Bedford Counseling Center, where he became the head of the Center before retiring for the second time in 2006.

In each community where he lived, he was a very active volunteer. He was a Chaplain for the Alexandria City Police Department. In Louisa Co., VA, he was a volunteer fireman. In Bedford he was a Leader for Boy Scouts of America's Troop 183. He belonged to historical societies where he learned how to be a genealogist, and worked as a volunteer for the Surry Historical Society doing genealogy research. He was also an active member of the Sons of the American Revolution Williamsburg, VA chapter, where he served as chaplain and historian.

He was the son of the late Jones Wesley Henry Jr. and Elizabeth Jones Henry of Athens, GA and Maitland, FL. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Nancy Sinclair Henry; his son, Ryan Sinclair Henry, his daughter-in-law, Kimberly Hayes Henry, his beloved granddaughter, Abigail "Abby" Olivia Henry, all from Virginia Beach, VA; his sister, Katherine Gail Henry Nechtman of Stone Mountain, GA; his brother, William Jones Henry of Pasadena, FL; two nephews, Al Knechtmann and David Nechtman; and two great-nephews.

Dr. Henry is the author of "Death Educ. The Tip of the Iceberg" and "Alexandria: A Town in Transition (1800- 1900)."

A memorial service will be held at a later date at Grace Episcopal Church in Yorktown, VA. Memorials can be made in Dr. Henry's memory to the Grace Historical Church Preservation Foundation, P.O. Box 133, Yorktown, VA 23690.