James (Jim) Henery

Jim was born on the twenty first of May 1923 in Forney, TX; he was the youngest of eight. He spent his childhood in Forney and he graduated from Forney High School in 1941.

After graduation, Jim went to work for Curtis Mathis, in Ft. Worth, until he enlisted in the Navy in September 1943. He was stationed in San Diego, CA for nine months before shipping out to Hawaii. During his time in the Navy, Jim received extensive training in metal work and he worked in the “Assembly and Repair Shop”. While there, Jim was in-charge of airplane cowling repair, rocket launcher installations and building brackets for heavy artillery in aircraft. It was during this time that Jim showed his true love and talent for softball. He was recruited to play outfield and he pitched for the Marine air station, where his pitching prowess helped lead and win the “Island Championship”.

In April of 1945, Jim was released from the Navy and he returned to Dallas. There, he continued to play softball for a number of teams and in 1946, Jim made the Dallas All-Star Team. During this time, he also worked for Sunshine Trailways Bus Line; Jim used the skills he learned in the Navy by doing body repair on buses.

Jim married Bette “Tootsie” Cutler Henery, in April of 1946. They moved to Austin in 1947 and together, they raised their five children in Austin. Jim worked for a number of automobile dealerships as a body man until he opened ‘Jim Henery’s Body & Paint Shop’ in 1954. His first location was on Guadalupe, across the street from St. Austin’s Catholic Church (the site of Dobie Mall), then he moved his business to 18th & Lavaca in 1957. During this time, Jim continued to pitch for a fast pitch soft ball team and he was recruited throughout central Texas. Ten years later, Jim moved his business to the final location on Airport Blvd. After the sale of his business and before his retirement, Jim began a career in real estate. Jim made lifelong friends in whatever career he was in. After the loss of Tootsie, he remarried; Jim married Marie Gattuso in 1986. His entire life, Jim subscribed to the three “F’s”; Faith, Family, and Friends. Jim was a devout Catholic and was very active in Knights of Columbus, Council 1017, where he served as a Fourth Degree Knight, Faithful Navigator, and Grand Knight.

Jim was preceded in death by Tootsie (the mother of his children), both of his parents, five sisters and two brothers.

Jim is survived by wife, Marie; daughters, Mary Ann Crenshaw of Conroe, Cindy and Stuart Gitlin of Round Rock, and Rhonda and Danny Hodges of Leander; sons, James Henery and partner, Janet Hall, of Leander, and John Henery, of Round Rock. He has 12 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. He is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews.

The pall bearers assisting with the service are: Dennis Gau, Nate Gitlin, Jordan Hodges, Jacob Schuler, Jim Sprinkle and David Nauert. Zack Henery is an honorary pall bearer. A visitation will be on Friday, the twenty eighth of October 2011 from six until eight o’clock in the evening at Cook-Walden Funeral Home, 6100 North Lamar Boulevard, Austin, TX. A funeral mass will be held on Saturday, the twenty ninth of October 2011 at twelve o’clock in the afternoon at St. Theresa Catholic Church, 4311 Small Drive, Austin, TX. Interment will follow at Assumption Cemetery, Austin, TX.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the charity of choice.

Condolences may be made to www.cookwaldenfuneralhome.com.