Jerrold T. Henley

Vashon resident Jerrold T. Henley passed away on Friday, September 16, 2016, at the age of 78. He was born in San Jose, California, to William and Josephine Henley, and was raised alongside his older sister, Janis.

Boy Scouts shaped Jerry’s youth, and he became an Eagle Scout, which contributed to the values and leadership skills of his adult years. At age 17, he and 16 other Eagle Scouts from the USA were chosen for a goodwill tour of Europe. They were flown over in a US Air Force transport plane, which inspired his lifelong sense of adventure and love of flying.

In 1957, Jerry married his high school sweetheart, Carolina Bates. They had three children — two daughters and a son. His dedication to family and community service were always present, wherever they resided.

Early on, Jerry proved his skills as a community banker in California and developed a reputation as a forward thinker during his 40 years in the industry. At the introduction of the computer era, Jerry was responsible for the transition of Mother Lode Bank, located in the Sierra Nevada foothills, to computer databases. Later, as CEO of a fast-growing community bank in Woodland, California, he established the town’s first-ever ATM. Under Jerry’s leadership as CEO of Sierra Nevada Bank, headquartered in Truckee, California, the bank became one of the top Small Business Administration lenders in the nation.

Jerry was a lifelong learner, and in his early 30s, he and Carolina both became private pilots, seeing the world from a different vantage point. In 1994, they moved from Northern California up to Vashon, Washington, to be closer to family, including their first grandchild. Jerry was passionate about bettering lives through problem solving. He was among the first on Vashon to own an all-electric vehicle, the Zap car. He also was a founding member of Zero Waste Vashon and was fascinated by the science of biochar and how it could help reduce greenhouse gases and provide more nutritious food. Never interested in just “dealing” with problems, Jerry always looked for ways to provide solutions. While living on Vashon, he volunteered his time to work with Vashon HouseHold, and he served on the board for the Maury Mutual Water District. He was also instrumental in the establishment of the Puget Sound Cooperative Credit Union branch on the island and served on their board. Among his hobbies, Jerry loved woodworking, organic gardening, tennis, dancing, and reading.

Jerry is survived by his sister, Janis Crowder of Pottsboro, Texas, and by family in the local area, including his wife, Carolina Henley; three children, Susan Hesselgrave, Cathy Henley, and David Henley; daughter-in-law, Linda Henley; and granddaughters, Claire Hesselgrave, Silvia Henley, and Lauren Henley.

The family gravesite is at Vashon Cemetery. A public Celebration of Life will be held on October 8 at 1:30 p.m. at the Vashon Land Trust (10014 SW Bank Rd, Vashon, WA) followed by light refreshments.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Vashon Land Trust (P.O. Box 2031, Vashon, WA 98070), Vashon HouseHold (P.O. Box 413, Vashon, WA 98070), or the Vashon-Maury Community Food Bank (P.O. Box 1205, Vashon, WA 98070).

Condolences may be entered in the online guest book at www.islandfuneral.com.