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 www.ohiohealth.com.
oh how i loved to see phil walk into an aa meeting! he always had something wise to share with the group, a comment that was both honest and thought provoking. i mourn our loss of a beautiful,funny sober man. and my prayers go out to his family and to all who cared about and loved him.
By: maggi corna on January 25, 2010
at 4:25 pm
His wings are here!
Do you hear the trumpets blare?
Take warning my friends…
Our brothers time is here.
His wings are ready for him to wear.
They fit quite nicely,
bettter than that chair.
His wings are here.
With his wings he’ll glide,
Over all the mountains sides.
Which lied in his heart,
Shaped his soul and released it whole.
No more problems-NO more pain.
Please dear friends don’t lay no blame.
Life came in and ran its course,
Yours too will be with the same force.
Don’t mind the past…
His wings are here for him to wear,
and with his wings,
eternal life will last.
By: David and Stephanie on January 25, 2010
at 7:09 pm
If Tomorrow Starts Without Me
When tomorrow starts without me
And I’m not there to see,
If the sun should rise and find your eyes
All filled with tears for me;
I wish so much you wouldn’t cry
The way you did today,
While thinking of the many things,
We didn’t get to say.
I know how much you love me,
As much as I love you,
And each time that you think of me,
I know you’ll miss me too;
But when tomorrow starts without me,
Please try to understand,
That an angel came and called my name,
And took me by the hand,
And said my place was ready,
In heaven far above,
And that I’d have to leave behind
All those I dearly love.
But as I turned to walk away,
A tear fell from my eye
For all my life, I’d always thought,
I didn’t want to die.
I had so much to live for,
so much left yet to do.
It seemed almost impossible,
that I was leaving you.
I thought of all the yesterdays,
The good ones and the bad,
I thought of all the love we shared,
And all the fun we had.
If I could relive yesterday,
Just even for a while,
I’d say good-bye and kiss you
And maybe see you smile.
But then I fully realized,
That this could never be,
For emptiness and memories,
Would take the place of me.
And when I thought of worldly things
I might miss come tomorrow,
I thought of you, and when I did,
My heart was filled with sorrow.
But when I walked through heaven’s gates,
I felt so much at home.
When God looked down and smiled at me,
From His great golden throne,
He said, “This is eternity,
And all I’ve promised you.”
Today your life on earth is past,
But here life starts anew.
I promise no tomorrow,
But today will always last,
And since each day’s the same way
There’s no longing for the past.
You have been so faithful,
So trusting and so true.
Though there were times
You did some things
You knew you shouldn’t do.
But you have been forgiven
And now at last you’re free.
So won’t you come and take my hand
And share my life with me.
So when tomorrow starts without me,
Don’t think we’re far apart,
For every time you think of me,
I’m right here, in your heart.
Author Unknown
we love you Henry Family
By: Donna Waller on January 25, 2010
at 7:53 pm
Whenever I heard the following hymn in church, I thought of Phil and Phil’s family and friends. This is their hymn and I wished it could be mine because I also wanted to help. I imagine Phil’s family singing this for the last 2 years:
The Servant Song (Brother, Let Me Be Your Servant)
Brother, let me be your servant
Let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I may have the grace
To let you be my servant, too
We are pilgrims on a journey
We are brothers on the road
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load
I will hold the Christlight for you
In the night-time of your fear
I will hold my hand out to you
Speak the peace you long to hear
I will weep when you are weeping
When you laugh I’ll laugh with you
I will share your joy and sorrow
Till we’ve seen this journey through
When we sing to God in heaven
We shall find such harmony
Born of all we’ve known together
Of Christ’s love and agony
Brother, let me be your servant
Let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I may have the grace
To let you be my servant, too
(and now that they’ve seen the journey through, I wish them peace)
By: kay huebner on January 26, 2010
at 11:32 am
After reading Phil’s beautifully written obituary in the Dispatch this morning, I was struck by two things: First that it appeared right beside his friend David who passed this week too, and second, there was a picture of a bright red cardinal on the backside!
By: Karen Randall Scott on January 27, 2010
at 10:42 am
Reading Karen’s response above about the cardinal…it’s Phil’s way of saying it’s NO LONGER PHILSFIGHT….It’s PHIL-FLIGHT….
Peace to you Phil!
Kate (Oakley) Leaver
By: Kate Leaver on January 27, 2010
at 8:18 pm
Megan,
Phil’s memorial service was amazing. Your whole family had to be so proud of Phil. I know I was. I was so moved by knockin on heavens door. Would it be possible to get a copy so I can listen to it and remember phil? Take Care and lets keep in touch. Thanks again for keeping this website going and all of us in the loop.
By: cameron mitchell on February 1, 2010
at 3:06 pm
I was able to visit Phil in the hospital after his accident while I was on leave from the Navy and truly cherrish my time with him albeit brief. Staying up date with his progress through the site, I’m not surprised at his accomplishments as his drive to succeed was inherent and contagious. The Kennedy family sends our thoughts and prayers to the entire Henry family, both immediate and extended, and wish you all our best in recovering from Phil’s loss. He will truly be missed on this great Earth.
By: Kevin Kennedy on February 4, 2010
at 11:20 pm