1951
Barton
2017
Barton Henry
May 1, 1951 — August 6, 2017
Barton “Big Dog” Buddy Henry, 66, passed away Sunday, August 6th, 2017 from several heart attacks, 47 hours after passing out at the wheel before driving him and Kris into a light pole. With Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, Bart will spend eternity in Heaven with Him. Born in 1951 to Horace and Jean Henry in Winters, TX, he delivered newspapers and became the fastest lawn mower in town. Bart worked with DECA at Abilene High School and was on their DC council 20 years later. With this strong work ethic, Bart soon bought his first of many cars. In 1974, he married his best friend and soul mate, Kristine Hickerson, in Dallas, TX.
Bart was employed by many companies during his long and illustrious career in the retail industry including: Kinney Shoe Corporation, Champs Sports, VidPro International, Hickory Brands Inc., Finish Line, and New Balance. He started out at Kinney Shoes during high school as a sales associate/stock boy and through hard work, determination, and just plain kicking ass, worked his way all the way up to Regional Vice President in 15 years. Before that, Bart was the youngest District Manager in the history of Kinney's at age 23. As a Regional Vice President, he led the company of 1600 stores in sales for over 3 years. He then transitioned to Champs Sports as a District Manager where he won District Manager of Year in 1991, 1992, 1994, and 1998. Choosing to branch out. Bart joined VidPro International for a year as Vice President of Sales. Returning to Champs in Atlanta as a District Manager, he lead the entire East Coast in sales during his 9 month assignment. After working one year for Hickory Brands Inc. as Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing, he became a Finish Line District Manager. Bart won multiple awards and was promoted to DM trainer. Growing weary of all the traveling and being on the road, Bart went home to work for his buddy, Ralph Parks, at New Balance as a store manager to be near his arriving grandchildren. He was just about to retire this month. Bart was described by many of his peers as an unstoppable engine of positivity with an eagerness to help others succeed. He developed, fostered, and maintained an extraordinary network of relationships. If he recommended someone, that person was worth their weight in gold. The people he mentored would go on to become great leaders in their professions. He would not only teach them how to succeed at life, but how to be a better person.
Bart enjoyed boating, hunting, shooting, water and snow skiing, and especially, racing, cruising, and the whole culture of hot rods. In 1968 in Abilene, TX, he and his best friend, J Cassle, would routinely trade places as the fastest street car in town, racing Bart's 1967 Rogue and J's 1964 Impala. Throughout the years, he raced many different cars a: 1967 Rambler Rogue, 1955 Chevy, 1967 Chevelle, 1982 Firebird, 1992 Camaro, and 1966 Chevelle. His last ongoing project was a street hot rod 1965 gold Chevelle with a white leather top.
He is survived by his wife, Kristine; his 2 sons, Matthew and Tyson; Tyson’s wife, Kelly; his 3 grandchildren, Collier, Maddox, and Pierce; his 2 sisters, Bonnie and Flo; and his brother, Gordon.
Bart was employed by many companies during his long and illustrious career in the retail industry including: Kinney Shoe Corporation, Champs Sports, VidPro International, Hickory Brands Inc., Finish Line, and New Balance. He started out at Kinney Shoes during high school as a sales associate/stock boy and through hard work, determination, and just plain kicking ass, worked his way all the way up to Regional Vice President in 15 years. Before that, Bart was the youngest District Manager in the history of Kinney's at age 23. As a Regional Vice President, he led the company of 1600 stores in sales for over 3 years. He then transitioned to Champs Sports as a District Manager where he won District Manager of Year in 1991, 1992, 1994, and 1998. Choosing to branch out. Bart joined VidPro International for a year as Vice President of Sales. Returning to Champs in Atlanta as a District Manager, he lead the entire East Coast in sales during his 9 month assignment. After working one year for Hickory Brands Inc. as Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing, he became a Finish Line District Manager. Bart won multiple awards and was promoted to DM trainer. Growing weary of all the traveling and being on the road, Bart went home to work for his buddy, Ralph Parks, at New Balance as a store manager to be near his arriving grandchildren. He was just about to retire this month. Bart was described by many of his peers as an unstoppable engine of positivity with an eagerness to help others succeed. He developed, fostered, and maintained an extraordinary network of relationships. If he recommended someone, that person was worth their weight in gold. The people he mentored would go on to become great leaders in their professions. He would not only teach them how to succeed at life, but how to be a better person.
Bart enjoyed boating, hunting, shooting, water and snow skiing, and especially, racing, cruising, and the whole culture of hot rods. In 1968 in Abilene, TX, he and his best friend, J Cassle, would routinely trade places as the fastest street car in town, racing Bart's 1967 Rogue and J's 1964 Impala. Throughout the years, he raced many different cars a: 1967 Rambler Rogue, 1955 Chevy, 1967 Chevelle, 1982 Firebird, 1992 Camaro, and 1966 Chevelle. His last ongoing project was a street hot rod 1965 gold Chevelle with a white leather top.
He is survived by his wife, Kristine; his 2 sons, Matthew and Tyson; Tyson’s wife, Kelly; his 3 grandchildren, Collier, Maddox, and Pierce; his 2 sisters, Bonnie and Flo; and his brother, Gordon.
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