BY THE EXAMINER STAFF
A longtime educator, school superintendent and community servant is being remembered after his passing this week for his impact on many area youths and fellow educators and for helping to pave the way for the future of several local school districts.
Robert “Bob” Henry, 86, of Rushsylvania passed away Monday, June 26, surrounded by his family. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Lauretta, along with their four children, 12 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren, a sister, and many other family and friends.
A 1954 graduate of Belle Center High School and president of his class, he attended Ohio Northern University. While he was just a junior in college in 1956, he was asked by Washington Local School in Lewistown to serve as a math teacher following the death of a teacher at the school that year.
He then went back to ONU and finished his bachelor’s degree in 1959, and also earned his master’s degree from The Ohio State University. He first served as a teacher, coach, principal and superintendent at Buckeye Local Schools. Mr. Henry was instrumental in consolidating the district to form Buckeye Local.
Notably, when he was promoted to superintendent for Buckeye Local in 1966, he was the youngest individual in Ohio to serve in that role.
Not long after that, Mr. Henry was instrumental in shaping the future of Indian Lake Schools, as he helped to determine where the school would be built. He had invited Belle Center to join in the district, but when they declined, the site was set along State Route 235 in the area of State Route 274, where the high school building stands today.
He was the superintendent of Indian Lake Schools, beginning in 1969 when the school building first opened.
Mr. Henry served Indian Lake Schools in that capacity for 14 years, and then moved to Shadyside, Ohio, to serve as superintendent of Shadyside Schools for eight years and then as the treasurer for seven years before his retirement.
During 1990 at Shadyside, Mr. Henry was instrumental in helping to lead the community through a difficult time, when flooding that hit the area killed 26 people and disrupted the lives of many others. He opened the school buildings in the district to help residents there, with one building serving as a shelter, another as a temporary morgue and another school as a site for donations and to house the Ohio National Guard.
He and wife then moved back to Logan County in 1997, where Mr. Henry has continued his community service as a volunteer through the AARP, preparing taxes for individuals for 20 years. He also served on the boards of the Hilliker YMCA and the Logan County Friendly Senior Center and various committees for the Methodist Church.
Mr. Henry’s grandson, Brett Henry, officiated his memorial service Friday, June 30, at Jennings Farley & Seeley Funeral Home in West Liberty. Online condolences may be expressed at www.jenningsfarley.com.
Robert Henry, seated, was the Indian Lake Schools superintendent when the school building was first built and opened in 1969. He served the district for 14 years and is pictured in 2019 during the Indian Lake High School’s 50th anniversary celebration. (Indian Lake Schools Photo)
