Betty Jo (McAninch) Hensley, age 90, of Jonesborough, TN, went to be with her Heavenly Father on Monday, December 18, 2023. She passed away unexpectedly, but peacefully in her sleep while at home the day after celebrating her special birthday and early Christmas with visiting family.

Betty was born on December 17, 1933, to Roscoe and Alice Woods McAninch of Kingsport, TN. She grew up and thrived as a young adult in her beloved Kingsport for 32 years. She was the last of her strong willed Scottish-Irish clan including five brothers and five sisters. Her 12-year old step-grandson Wesley expressed it best in a text, “Sometimes the good things in life have to go, but at least we know it’s a good cause because Jesus decides.”

Anyone that knew Betty would always hear many loving stories of her Kingsport family. Two of her favorite sayings were “Can’t never did anything,” and “Don’t say goodbye, but so long for now.” She was never a sitter and worked tirelessly from an early age in the 1940’s through college in 1954 helping run and maintain family owned businesses throughout Kingsport including McAninch Market, McAninch Apartments, Model City Motel, and The Garden Basket.

Walking was one of Betty’s passions. She walked to the old Dobyns-Bennett High School on Wateree Street where she graduated in 1952. After riding the bus to East Tennessee State University from 1952-1954, where she met future husband Claude, she left school to help tend to her sick father Roscoe. He passed in 1956 due to black lung disease from his early days of coal mining at the heart of America’s coal bin in Welch, West Virginia. During 1954-1964 after college, she walked to work at the old Sterchi Brother Furniture and Kingsport Press. She often walked to the old American Legion Pool in the summers with her younger sister Connie.

After marrying Claude on October 14, 1961, at First Christian Church in Kingsport, she left the Kingsport Press in 1964 to start a family. Not long after moving to Jonesborough in 1965, she became a member of Central Christian Church in the historic town, where she was a Sunday school and VBS teacher for the little ones. Later in life around 2012, she started attending University Parkway Baptist Church in Johnson City, TN. She was always thrilled when her daughter Deborah took her to the Fidelis Sunday school class taught by Gwen Eads and Lakie Hensley. After COVID struck here in 2020, she started going to their Sunday morning drive-in church with her son Alan and daughter-in-law, Regina.

During Betty’s life, she was a caring and devoted daughter, sister, wife and mother. After 57 years of marriage, her husband Claude passed in 2019. Her longevity and fortitude can be attributed to her Christian faith, positive outlook, being active, and wonderful physician Dr. Andy Delwadia and team at Mountain Region Family Medicine in Kingsport. She could wake up without an alarm clock and lived each day to the fullest like walking in the basement, working in the yard, or cooking delicious Southern meals. Through the years, she always looked forward to her Saturday drives to Kingsport for visits with her beloved mother Alice, who suddenly passed in 1989, and her many siblings who she talked to for hours on end.

She was preceded in death by both parents, Roscoe Conklin McAninch and Alice Woods McAninch of Kingsport, TN; five Kingsport sisters, Florence McAninch Chase (Charlie), Kathryn McAninch Hines (Marvin), Myrtle McAninch Spivey (Bill), Eva Mae McAninch, and Connie McAninch Monday (Howard); five Kingsport brothers, James Edward McAninch (Earlene), R.C. McAninch (Gladys), Herman Woodrow McAninch (Gladys), and Frank D. McAninch; extended family member Wilma Hensley Mongold of Limestone, TN; dear niece Lisa Monday Keller; and her devoted loving husband Thomas Claude Hensley of Limestone, TN.

Left to cherish and share her memories are her son, Alan Kyle Hensley (Regina) of Jonesborough, TN; daughter, Deborah Hensley Parker (Tuffy) of Jonesborough, TN; grandson, Gregory Lee Hensley (Rachel) of Franklin, TN; grandson, Kyle Alastair Hensley (Shaina) of Ash, NC; future grandson baby Hensley; step granddaughter, Chelsea France Moody (Eric) of Telford, TN; extended family Glen A. Hensley (Charlotte) of Kingsport, TN and Bill Fletcher Mongold of Hickory, NC; former sister-in-law, Jeanette Osborne Clark of Jonesborough, TN; other extended family members; many special nieces and nephews; and her dearly beloved Yorkies Gigi and Bandit.

A Graveside Service will be on Thursday, December 21, 2023, at 11:00 AM, at Maple Lawn Cemetery in Jonesborough, with Pastor and Spiritual Growth Minister Scott Thompson from University Parkway Baptist Church, officiating.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the University Parkway Baptist Church drive-in church outreach program or the Washington County Animal Shelter.