Phil\’s fight

The Henry Family has enjoyed hearing so many wonderful stories from family and friends about their favorite memories of Phil. It brings comfort to us to know how he touched so many people’s lives. We ask that you share your memories with us here on Phil’s web site, so that they will forever be available for us to reflect upon.

My favorite memory came rushing back to me yesterday as I was running on the Worthington bike path, enjoying a rare beautiful sunny day. A red cardinal crossed my path and landed on a branch within eight feet of me. I stopped in my tracks and felt Phil’s presence in this amazing moment – the snow covering the landscape as the river rushed from the melting snow. So many of my memories involve physical activity with Phil, for that is something our entire family thrives on.

Phil once came to visit me when I was coaching in Pensacola, Florida. It was St. Patrick’s Day weekend and we started our Saturday with a 10K race near the beach. The run ended at a popular Irish pub where everyone hung out and drank the free beer. (This was of course before Phil’s sober years!) Then we headed to the beach for the day to soak in the rays, play paddle ball and swim in the ocean. In the early afternoon, we went to a sports bar on the beach to watch NCAA March Madness basketball. That evening Phil said to me, “Now THAT was an incredible day!” I will forever remember that day and so many of the wonderful memories of Phil. Please share your memories with us!!

Here is a link to other songs recorded by Phil and his band, “All Folked Up”:
More of Phil’s Music

And if you have not seen them yet, here are the links to the YouTube videos:
Jake’s tribute – “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” as played at Phil’s funeral
Live at The Peddler

If you have trouble accessing or downloading, send an e-mail to Joe at mocniakj@columbus.rr.com.

Out of respect for Phil’s hard work and dedication in building a very reputable painting business, we plan to honor Phil in keeping his business going strong. He has three incredible painters- Tim, Tony and John- who have been very loyal to Phil through the years. It is our goal to maintain a quality company that Phil would be proud of! Please call Tim at 732-7455 if you would like a free estimate for any of your painting needs.

Phil’s good friend and “All Folked Up” band member, Joe, has an MP3 version of the Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door song played at Saturday’s memorial service. To clarify, that was Phil singing the lead, playing the lead guitar and singing the harmonies as well.

He plans to post other songs featuring Phil’s vocals on the web in the near future. He will put a link to them here when they are available for download. Thanks for your interest – Phil would have a big smile on his face knowing that his music was in demand.

Our plan for Phil’s Fight website is to keep it up and running so that anytime you are missing Phil, you can visit this site to write a message to him and the family. It will be a place to remember Phil through the pictures, music and his written words. We know we would miss the ability to communicate with Phil’s friends and extended family and would mostly miss hearing stories about how Phil touched your lives. So, we hope that you will check in on occasion and write a note. It’s going to be a tough road ahead with grief and sadness, so hopefully we can help each other through the tough times. Thanks for all of your prayers and support through Phil’s journey….

Philip Jay Henry, 47, passed peacefully on January 20, 2010 surrounded by his loving family. Born in Columbus, Ohio on August 21, 1962, Phil graduated from Upper Arlington High School in 1981 and The Ohio State University in 1992 and was owner of “Painting by Phil Henry & Co”. He was a proud member of Alcoholics Anonymous. A bright spot in the lives of so many friends and acquaintances, Phil will be remembered for his quick wit, his indomitable spirit, his keen perceptiveness, his passion for the Buckeyes, his desire to protect animals, his love of music including his folk band, his beautiful voice, and his handsome, assured smile. He touched the lives of everyone he encountered.

Phil enjoyed the outdoors, all sports, and had achieved a Brown Belt in Tae Kwon Do. He was an avid climber of “the fourteeners” in Colorado and completed several Columbus Half-Marathons. After becoming paralyzed 2 ½ years ago, Phil overcame his challenges by crossing the finish line of the ‘08 Columbus Marathon on his hand-crank recumbent bike, kayaking with TAASC , working out and enjoying an extremely social life.

Phil is survived by his parents, Richard and Nancy Henry; brothers Stephen (Karen) and David (Kim) Henry; two sisters Susan (John) Barricklow and Megan (Amy Seymore) Henry; and many nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins.

Phil’s family is eternally grateful for his many friends and family members, near and far, who have traveled Phil’s journey with him. “The mountains are calling and I must go.” John Muir

The family will receive friends on Friday, January 29, 2010 from 4-7 PM at SCHOEDINGER WORTHINGTON CHAPEL, 6699 N. High St. A memorial service will be held at 11 AM on Saturday, January 30, 2010 at King Avenue United Methodist Church, 299 King Ave. where the family will also receive friends following the service for a brief time. Rev. John Keeny officiating.

Friends, if they wish, may make a contribution in Phil’s memory to The Adaptive Adventure Sports Coalition (TAASC), 6000 Harriet Rd. Powell, OH 43065 or to HomeReach Hospice by going to http://www.ohiohealth.com.

The Henry family thanks you for your messages of condolence and for sharing your beautiful words about Phil on this web site. Your support has been such a source of comfort to us.

We invite you to join us in gathering together to celebrate Phil’s life. The Henry family will receive friends at Schoedinger Worthington Chapel on Friday, January 29, 2010 from 4-7 p.m. The address for Schoedinger Worthington Chapel is 6699 N. High Street, Worthington, OH 43085 (located just south of I-270).

We will have a celebration of Phil’s life the following day at King Avenue United Methodist Church on Saturday, January 30, 2010 at 11 a.m. The address for King Avenue Church is 299 King Avenue, Columbus, OH 43201.

In lieu of flowers, we request that donations be made in Phil’s name to the following organizations:

The Adaptive Adventure Sports Coalition (TAASC)
6000 Harriet Rd.
Powell, OH 43065

Ohio Health Foundation – HomeReach Hospice
180 E. Broad St.
Columbus, OH 43215

We look forward to remembering our beloved Phil with all of his caring friends and family.

Today at 3:38 p.m. our beloved Phil earned his angel wings. He passed away peacefully surrounded by his family…surrounded by love.

This afternoon as his breathing became more labored, we sensed that he was slipping away. A priest named Father Dean was walking past Phil’s room after visiting another patient, and we quickly grabbed him and asked him to pray with us. Father Dean placed his hand on Phil’s shoulder and we prayed for Phil’s peace. Father Dean said that he literally felt Phil’s body release its energy, like Phil was preparing to cross over.

Within minutes of the priest leaving, Phil’s breathing slowed dramatically. We held him, told him that we loved him, and assured him that his peace is our peace. And then he was gone.

Soon after he took his last breath, a bright red cardinal appeared just outside of his window. Cardinals were always our Grandma Katie’s favorite bird, and we’d all sit with her and watch the cardinals in her yard. Phil spent many hours with Grandma whistling at the cardinals. So today, as we said goodbye to our dear Phil, it was fitting that Grandma Katie would send this cardinal down from heaven to reassure us that she’d be waiting for Phil on the other side. What a beautiful gift.

Although our hearts are broken because we will miss him immeasurably, we are relieved that Phil will be free of pain and able to walk, run, climb…and ultimately fly. Our angel Philly.

We thank all of you – Phil’s loving friends and family – for all of your support and kindness over these past few weeks. Your compassion has sustained us.

Arrangements to celebrate Phil’s life will be forthcoming on this web site. Thank you again.

Peace, Philly. We love you.

When Phil was moved from OSU hospital into hospice a little over a week ago, we were grateful for him to be in a quieter, more peaceful environment. In fact, visiting Phil at hospice the first few days didn’t seem that different from visiting him at his house this past year. Since he had been on bed rest for 23 hours per day for the last twelve months due to the severity of his pressure sores, we’d visit him all the time, and he’d be lying on his stomach trying to heal those sores. At hospice initially, it wasn’t much different except that he seemed to sleep more and didn’t have to be on his stomach anymore. He looked like himself, which was a relief compared to how he looked in the hospital when he was hooked up to a myriad of machines.

Over the past two days, however, reality hit us like an icy tidal wave: we’re losing him, and soon we won’t be able to see him whenever we want, and hug him and hear his voice. As his condition deteriorates, we are coming closer to that painful, empty reality.

As much as we fear the future without him and as grueling as it is to watch Phil go through this process, we know that the ultimate result is that Phil will have no more hindrances, no more pain, and will no longer be held hostage by his wounded body.