Franklin Walter Hensley, age 82, of Oak Ridge, passed away Saturday, July 25, at his home. He was born February 8, 1933, in Richmond, Virginia, to Leonard and Marie Hensley. He is survived by Mary Katherine, his wife of 59 years.
Frank has two daughters, Gina (Ross) Jagim of Falls Church, Virginia, and Carol (Terry) Smith of Clinton; one brother, L. Charles Hensley of Oak Ridge; six grandchildren, Nathan, Aaron, Rachel, and Taylor Helton, and Ken and Nick Jagim; and two great grandchildren, Leo Helton, and Meela Spoelstra.
Frank served in the U.S. Army and was a graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, with an engineering degree in 1964. He resided in Oak Ridge for 48 years and was an advocate for Tennessee scenic wilderness areas. Frank was a devoted conservationist who knew and loved the wild, natural lands, and waters of the Oak Ridge Reservation, the Obed Wild and Scenic River (WSR) and Upper Cumberland Plateau. He worked tirelessly on preserving, protecting, and enjoying all of these areas he treasured.
Frank was a founding member and treasurer of Advocates for the Oak Ridge Reservation and also a long-time active board member of Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning (TCWP) and Advocates for the Oak Ridge Reservation (AFORR), and on the Advisory Board of Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation. Thanks to his dedicated efforts, tens of thousands of acres of wild lands have been conserved.
He was also an avid whitewater paddler who was instrumental in introducing the sport to many others as well as encouraging clean water activism.
Read the full obituary here.
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