Sandra Kaye Henson

Sandra Kay Jolley Henson passed away February 10, 2024, after an extended illness. She spent her final days surrounded and comforted by the love of her husband of 63 years, Gary Henson, her children, and grandchildren.

Sandra was born in Park City, Utah on August 5, 1938, to Quince and Odessa Jolley, the fourth of five siblings. She grew up in Salina, Utah, where she spent many happy hours basking in the beauty of the Utah desert. She graduated from North Sevier High School.

With her sights set on getting a college degree, Sandra moved to Provo, Utah where she majored in Microbiology at BYU, graduating in 1960. While at BYU, she formed life-long friendships with her college roommates. As luck and fate would have it, one of those roommates, Nola Harris Duncan, introduced Sandra to her cousin from McCammon, Idaho named Gary. Well, the introduction changed the course of Mom’s life as she married this cute guy named Gary, moved to Pocatello where she began her career, became a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, creating a life and legacy that her family will forever cherish.

Sandra’s first job was at Bannock Memorial Hospital, where she worked in the lab. From there she went to St. Anthony Hospital where her hard work and attention to detail were rewarded with a promotion to lab manager. When St. Anthony Hospital closed, she helped plan and design the new lab at Pocatello Regional Medical Center, where she worked as manager until her retirement. Along the way, she mentored many young lab professionals who later became lifelong friends. She was a respected and well-loved member of the hospital community.

Raising four children while maintaining a successful career was a huge task, but one that Mom made seem easy. Somehow, she was able to manage, always finding time to celebrate her family, with birthday parties, holiday get-togethers, summer vacations (funded, in part, by her working overtime, taking “on-call” lab work even in the middle of the night!) She was a wonderful cook and was famous for making the most delicious home cooked meals. Sandra knew the importance of sharing a meal and she was famous for feeding all of us, even as our numbers grew.

In addition to her career and family, Sandra was a long-time member of the local chapter of the women’s service organization, Zonta Club of Pocatello. She believed in giving her time and resources to her community. She spent countless hours organizing and providing Christmas boxes for Senior Citizens. This was the perfect job for her because her favorite holiday was Christmas. Her Christmas decorations and gift-giving were legendary in her family; in fact, she was dubbed “Sandra Claus” by her husband, which fit her perfectly! She continued her role with Zonta through her late 70’s, and despite her own health challenges, she insisted on continuing as long as she could, because, in her words, “we need to help the Seniors!” – never admitting that she, herself, could be called a senior.

Retirement was a special time in Mom’s life. It meant that after a lifetime of hard work, she could devote her time to the joys of being a grandmother and to the beauty of her flower gardens. Both her grandchildren and her flowers flourished with her attention. She was immensely proud of her 15 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren. Trips to Grandma’s house will be forever in the memories of all her grandkids as some of the best times of their lives. She was an indulgent and patient grandma, always finding fun things for them to do and passing on her love of nature and gardening.

Mom had numerous hobbies throughout her life. She was very artistic and created beautifully painted ceramics. She was an expert seamstress, sewing many clothing items for her kids. She loved to read and was a great example to her children with her love of books. She bowled! During her working years, she was in a bowling league with her coworkers and would often let one of her kids tag along to the bowling alley. And, of course, there was her total devotion to the Utah Jazz! She was a super-fan, never missing a game. A highlight for her was when her daughter, Pam, arranged for the two of them to meet some of the team players, John Stockton, Karl Malone, Thurl Bailey, Mark Eaton, and Coach Jerry Sloan.

Sandra, our mom, left a hole in our hearts, but also a lasting legacy of love and family. She will forever be missed, but we will treasure the memories she made for us all. She will always be in our hearts, and every time we see the color turquoise, we will smile, for that was her very favorite color.

Sandra leaves behind her beloved husband, Gary, of 63 years; children, Lori (Kie) Foreman, Nola (Dave) McRory, Ken, Pam (Rudy) Ganske; 15 grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren; siblings, DeeWayne Jolley and LaRae Hicks.

She was preceded in death by her parents; siblings, Max and Shirley; and an infant son, David Gary.

Our family wishes to express gratitude to the many healthcare workers that took care of her this past year at Portneuf Medical Center, Quinn Meadows, and Heritage Home Health and Hospice. We will be forever grateful for the loving care the two special men in her life gave her during this challenging time. Her dedicated husband and son were excellent nurses, giving her round-the-clock care, with patience and love.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, February 17, 2024, at Wilks Funeral Home, 211 W Chubbuck Rd, Chubbuck, ID 83202. A viewing will be held prior, beginning at 9:30 am. A graveside service will take place at 1:00 pm at the Norton Cemetery, 1700 State Street, McCammon, ID 83250.

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