Joe Henley was born on November 21, 1945 in Kansas City, Missouri and died on October 4, 2018 in Overland Park Kansas  Funeral Services will be held Tuesday Oct. 9th 2018  with visitation at 10:00 and the  funeral at 10:30 in the chapel at St Ann Catholic Church 7231 Mission Road. Prairie Village, Kansas.  A luncheon at the church will follow the Mass.

Joe grew up in the 55^thand Paseo neighborhood of Kansas City, Mo. He was the youngest of 3 children of Boyd and Mary Margaret Henley. His two older sisters are  Nancy and Mary. He attended grade school at St. Therese Little Flower parish school. Joe began high school at Bishop Hogan High School and graduated from Paseo High School. He  then attended Kansas City Junior College studying drafting and computer science.

One of his first part time jobs was parking cars at Sam’s lot at the old Kansas City Municipal Stadium probably during high school.  One of his first full time jobs was drafting for the Marley company that manufactured cooling towers.  Later he worked as a computer operator at the Seaboard Corporation. He also worked as a bartender at the Indian Hills Country Club.

In 1965 with the Vietnam War heating up and the draft hanging over his head he joined the Marines in their 6 month active duty program.   He did his basic training in San Diego, CA followed by 6 years in the reserves, with yearly summer training camps. During this time he was excited to be able to buy an Austin Healy Sprite sports car.   He would leave it at his sister Nancy’s house for safe keeping while away at Marine training camp.

Always one for adventure, he attended flight school and earned his commercial pilots license.   He then worked for Ewing and Muriel Kauffman (owners of the KC Royals) as their personal co-pilot.    He talked of flying Mrs. Kauffman to New York for shopping trips.

He was interested in sailing and for a time had his own sail boat docked at Lake Jacomo.   He loved to give family members boat rides and try to teach us the basics of sailing.   He and his wife at the time also owned two Vespa motor scooters.   They would go for road trips often camping along the way.  Photography was  also one of his many interests.

He eventually went to work for TWA as a computer specialist in setting up networking with travel agencies.   This job eventually migrated to WorldSpan, where he progressed in computer networks, and eventually worked at Heathrow Airport in London.    He spent several years working in London.   Joe enjoyed living there and took every opportunity to travel Europe.   While in London he bought a BMW motorcycle and took up serious cycling.   He brought the cycle with him when he was transferred back to the US and settled in the Los Angeles area.    He then worked in California until his retirement.   Here in the USA he took many long trips by motorcycle with friends, most often camping along the way.   He would travel from LA to Kansas City, Florida, and many of the western states on his beloved BMW.   A man of many outside interests he took up scuba diving and in his later years attended woodworking classes.

Joe was always a fun loving guy but had his serious professional side too.    He enjoys his extended family very much,   even though he was away from them much of his life.  He moved back to the Kansas City area in 2013.

He was preceded in death by his parents Boyd and Mary Margaret Henley.

Survivors include his sisters Nancy Henley Nowatzke (Bob) of Prairie Village, KS and Mary Henley Saenz (Cris) of Allen, TX and many nieces and nephews.  Assistance by Funeral Advocates, LLC.