Max James Hensley
Max James Hensley, 90, of Burnet died March 29, 2011, in Round Rock. He was born Sept. 18, 1920, in Keystone, Okla., a town now at the bottom of Keystone Lake.
The third of eight children, he was born to Marion Hensley and Cleo George Hensley.
His father worked for Sinclair Oil Co. The family moved many times when he was growing up. He graduated from high school in Seminole, Okla., so he considered Seminole his home town.
After high school, he worked on the construction of Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City. He started at Phillips Petroleum Co. in 1942, working mostly in Odessa. In 1969, he married Phyllis Walker and they moved to South America, where he continued his career with Phillips Petroleum until his retirement in 1983.
This career led him to call many places home, including Oklahoma; West Texas; Santos, Brazil; Kenai, Alaska; and Morichal and Maracaibo, Venezuela.
As an avid traveler, he and his wife went to Central and South America, Mexico and the Caribbean islands. After retirement, they settled in Burnet but traveled to the Hawaiian islands, Canada and Europe, where they visited England, Wales, Scotland, Spain and France.
He spent many years working in his shop and enjoying fishing, gardening and other Hill Country pastimes.
Survivors include his wife Phyllis Walker Hensley; children Jerry Hensley and Joe Hensley and wife Marla of Odessa, Mark Phillips and wife Daralyn of Waco, Cheryl Kensing and husband Herb of Hurst, and Kent Simmons and wife Dianna of Kingwood; 11 grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by all of his siblings: sisters Minnie James, Mildred Highfill, Mary Ann Sherrard and Eva Mae Ferguson; and brothers Keeton Hensley, Eugene Hensley and Sidney Hensley; grandsons Randy Hensley and Cory Hensley; and daughter-in-law Sandy Hensley.
A visitation is 6-7 p.m. March 31 at Clements-Wilcox Funeral Home, 306 Texas 29 East in Burnet, (512) 756-2222.
A service is 3 p.m. April 1 at the funeral home with the Rev. Barry Drake officiating.
Interment will follow at Post Mountain Cemetery in Burnet.
Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church of Burnet or to a charity of choice. Condolences may be offered at www.clementswilcoxburnet.com.