Duane Hensley

Duane Hensley

May 12, 1946 – Jan 16, 2026

We are grieved to share the passing of our beloved Husband, Father, Grandfather, and Great-grandfather, C. Duane Hensley. Duane passed away peacefully in his home in Taylor, Arizona, the morning of January 16, 2026, at the age of 79 years old.

Duane was born in Upland, California May 12, 1946, to Charles Buck and Velma Ruth Cowan Hensley. Not long after, the family moved to Texas and then to Arizona, and after moving around to several places in Arizona and adding three younger brothers along the way, they finally settled in Taylor, Arizona.

Duane loved the outdoors and spent as much time as he could hunting, fishing, camping and horseback riding all over the White Mountains. His teenage years were spent living and working at Love Lake Ranch, with his dad being the Farm Manager for the Bourdons. Duane graduated from Snowflake High School in 1964 after being the State High School Heavy Weight Wrestling Champion in both his Junior and Senior years. After High School he spent some time working in the Snowflake-Taylor area and then he moved to one of his favorite places in the world, Alaska, and after working for a time there, he came back to Arizona and married his sweetheart, Elaine Palmer on January 19, 1966. The family joke is that it was a good thing his family moved to Taylor or Elaine wouldn’t have had anyone to marry as she was related to pretty much everyone in town at the time.

Duane supported his family by working at the Snowflake Papermill for 32 years as a pipefitter/welder. Duane and Elaine raised their 6 children (5 boys and 1 girl), for the most part, in their home on Center St. in Taylor. Duane also had a few side jobs along the way that included chimney sweep, and his own welding business. Whatever the job was, Duane worked hard and always tried to do his best at whatever it was and expected his children to always do their best too. Anything he put his mind to accomplish, he did. Duane wasn’t just talented in the outdoor type of stuff; he is also very good at writing poems and sharing his feelings though his writing. Duane grew up very shy and didn’t like to be in the spotlight publicly ever. He was able to express himself though, once he sat down and started writing. He would work and work on a poem until he got it just the way he wanted, including some unusual spellings of different words, just to make sure you said it the way he meant it.

LIFE WILL WORK OUT GRAND

22 APRIL 2007

C.D.H.

THERE’S GRIT BENEATH MY FINGERNAILS, AND WOOD CHIPS IN MY HAIR

I’M SITTING ON A MOUNTAIN TOP, WITHOUT A WORLDLY CARE.

ADMIRING NATURE’S GLORY, AMIDST THE DRIFTS OF SNOW,

LOOKING DOWN ON A LITTLE TOWN SEVERAL MILES BELOW.

IN MY MIND’S EYE, I CAN SEE THEM IN THEIR HOUSES SHUT UP TIGHT,

SOME FOLKS CALL IT LIVING BUT TO ME IT DON’T SEEM RIGHT.

WITH ALL OF NATURE’S BEAUTY RIGHT AT THEIR BACK DOOR,

THEY SET ON WORLDLY TREASURES, ALWAYS WANTING MORE.

LISTEN TO THE MEADOW LARK AND THE COOING OF THE DOVE,

THERE ARE THINGS THAT CAN’T BE BOUGHT, THEY’RE GIFTS FROM HIM ABOVE.

HE PUT THE LEAVES ON ASPEN TREES AND MADE THE SMALL STREAM FLOW.

HE MADE THIS PLACE FOR MAN AND BEAST AND CAUSED THE STARS TO GLOW.

HE GAVE HIS SON TO RANSOM US FROM OUR EARTHLY SINS,

AND WHEN MAN TOOK CHRIST’S MORTAL LIFE, GOD TOOK HIM BACK AGAIN.

DON’T SET YOUR MIND ON TREASURE, JUST LIKE ALL THE REST,

PUT YOUR FACE INTO THE WIND AND GIVE YOUR VERY BEST.

WORK HARD TO WIN YOUR NEIGHBOR’S TRUST AND WHEN HE NEEDS A HAND,

BE THERE WITH YOUR GLOVES ON, AND LIFE WILL WORK OUT GRAND.

THE GREATEST GIFT IS GIVING, TO SHARE OF WHAT YOU OWN,

YOUR COUNTENANCE WILL RADIATE THE KINDNESS THAT YOU’VE SHOWN.

AT THE RESURRECTION WHEN WE GATHER ONCE AGAIN,

LET IT BE AS FAMILY AND EVERY SOUL A FRIEND.

Duane is survived by his loving, cherished wife and eternal companion, Elaine Palmer Hensley; his children, Stuart (Deeanna) Hensley, Kristy (Clint) Fincher, Brandon (Julie) Hensley, Clay (Amee) Hensley, and Kyle (Melissa) Hensley; 20 grandchildren with 15 more in-law grandchildren that we consider our own, and 30 great-grandchildren, with 1 more on the way; and brothers, Steve Hensley (Callie) and Jeff Hensley.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Buck & Velma Hensley; in-laws, Harvey & Vera Palmer; son, Kenneth Duane Hensley; half-brother, Charles Buck; brother, Bruce Hensley; sister-in-law, Sharon Hensley; half-sisters, Fay and Lou; and his beautiful great-granddaughters, Skyla Rose and Berkley.

Funeral services will be held at the Love Lake Chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 301 Love Lake Rd., Taylor, Arizona, on Friday, January 23, 2026, at 11:00a.m., with visitation starting at 10:00 a.m.

Burial will follow at the Reed Hatch Memorial Cemetery, in Taylor, Arizona. 

To watch the Funeral Service via ZOOM:  

https://zoom.us/j/99202078709?pwd=pma78DkTN3tP1DloM2YuRongEOg0b6.1

Meeting ID: 99202078709

Passcode:  416710