William Coy Hensley

William Coy "Red" Hensley was reunited with his family and friends on Thursday evening, February 26, 2026. He passed away in the Comanche house he called home for nearly 60 years.

Born in Comanche on May 17, 1941, Red was raised by his grandparents, Coy and Malissie Hensley. His mother, Mary Belle (Young) passed away shortly after Red was born, and his father, James "Pete" Hensley, left the state to find work.

Red built a tremendous life for himself and his family. A 1959 graduate of Comanche High School, Red married El Frieda Cook in 1962. Together they raised their two daughters, Lawanda Hamer of Duncan and Sharon McFerron of Norman. The home Red built saw many great times with grandchildren Tiffany (Hamer) Blackwell Cole Hamer, Hattie (McFerron) Demirjian, and Samuel McFerron. In addition to his daughters and grandchildren, Red is survived by four great-grandchildren, Hanna, Jaxon, and Grayson Blackwell, and Ayah Demirjian.

Red's grandchildren created and continue to sing their song, "Papa Works," because that is what Red did. From being a National Guardsman, more than 30 years as a Haliburton machinist, during an 11-year "post-retirement" job working at the Family Dollar distribution center to roofing houses with longtime colleague and friend Eddie Couch well into his 70s, Red was working - or telling stories.

Some folks tell fish stories, but Red's stories spanned many more adventures, traversed continents, and would range from possibly believable to outright outlandish. He would never deviate and never acknowledged a naysayer who dared claim a story couldn't be true, aside from, of course, Frieda or Haskell. For years, the family felt they endured these stories - or "rattlin'" as Frieda called it - but they are a central part of who Red was, and we already miss them.

Red was preceded in death by his wife of 55 years, three brothers, and lifelong friend Haskell McFatridge. Surviving family members include his sister Ruth Kelly of Duncan, his brother Jim, and Jim's wife Julia Hensley of Lake Havasu, AZ.

Services are being organized by Bailes-Polk of Duncan. Family visitation will be on Monday, March 2, from 6 to 7 pm. Graveside services are Tuesday, March 3, at 11 am at Comanche's Fairlawn Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you tell a family member an outlandish story, feed a stray cat, or get to work helping family.