Obituary

William Churchill Henshaw

February 13, 1936 – February 6, 2023

Our world won’t be the same without William (Bill) Henshaw, a true gentleman.  Bill was born on February 13, 1936, son of Lowell and Amy Henshaw (Kinnaird).  His younger brother, Larry Henshaw, predeceased him in 2021.

Bill grew up in western Washington, graduating from the University of Washington with a bachelor’s degree in business.  While attending the UW, he met his future wife Carol by pretending to need ice from the neighbor.  He was active in the Delta Tau Delta fraternity where he met many life-long friends.

Following graduation, he served as staff sergeant in the Air National Guard from 1958 to 1964.  He attained his realtor’s license in 1960, spent the next six decades in banking and commercial real estate, and was in the office on the day of his passing.  It was never a job for Bill because he loved what he did and enjoyed interacting with people in the industry.  He was always willing to share his knowledge and experience with anyone who asked.  He joined the team at Windemere in 1988, receiving awards for Realtor of the Year in 1994, Building Industry Associate of the Year in 2000, and Realtor Lifetime Achievement Award.

Bill enjoyed travelling all over the world with his wife, Carol, and meeting up with their sons in the far-off locales of Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, and Taiwan.  Raised in the cold waters of Puget Sound he was an avid swimmer and spent hours in the water bodysurfing with his boys in Bali.

A voracious reader, Bill was rarely seen without a book in his hands even while ‘catching light leaks’.  His penchant for pickles was matched only by his expertise at playing holey board and singing around the campfire at the family cabin on Bainbridge Island. We will remember and miss his witticisms, mischievous smile and the twinkle in his eye.  One character-building exercise for his young sons was to start a fire with one match to cook breakfast inside an old tin coffee can.

Bill is survived by his wife of 62 years, Carol Sue Henshaw (Brandt), son Brant William Henshaw and his wife Lynn, son Brian Lowell Henshaw and his wife Alison, grandsons Dawson Bradley Henshaw, William Mitchell Henshaw, and Jonathon Walter Henshaw, and his sister-in-law Jan Henshaw and her extended family.

A celebration of Bill’s life will be held on April 22^nd at 2:00PM at the First Congregational Church of Bellingham.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to Lighthouse Mission Ministries, Garden Street United Methodist Church, Whatcom Hospice, or Interfaith Coalition of Whatcom County.