David L. Hensley
David L. Hensley, beloved husband, father, grandfather, uncle, brother, and coach, died on Wednesday, December 8, 2021.
David was born on October 7, 1946, to the late Robert Hensley and Maxine Adkins, and grew up in Amesville, Ohio, where he excelled both in academics and on the basketball court. He was an all-star basketball player for Ames-Bern High School, and his time there sparked a love for sports that he enjoyed his entire life.
David had a brilliant mind and knack for numbers, leading him to a successful 50+ year career in the banking industry. David graduated from the Rutgers University Stonier Graduate School of Banking. Decades later, he (semi) retired as VP of Commercial Lending from Unity Bank in 2020. He also served, and is most well-known in the community, as President and CEO of Phillipsburg National Bank. David achieved many accolades throughout his banking career and took great pride in the relationships he built within the community. His children were most impressed with his connections to a local Christmas tree farm, where he always got the “best” tree.
David met the love of his life, Jeanette Carita, in Phillipsburg in 1976, and they were happily married for 42 years. David and Jeanette raised 3 children together and enjoyed spending time with their 6 grandchildren. Their family has shared many beautiful memories together from summer vacations in the Wildwoods, gatherings at the family condo in Florida, and annual reunions with the extended family.
David’s love of sports and commitment to the community launched a long career as a volunteer coach. He took great pride in serving as assistant basketball coach for Phillipsburg Catholic High School from the late 1970’s thru the 1980’s. When his children were school aged, David picked up the whistle again to coach all three of them in their numerous athletic endeavors. He continued to coach even after his children were grown, serving as coach for Lower Nazareth softball for 27 years. Over that time, his record amounted to 275 wins and 107 losses. His softball teams made it to the playoffs 27 consecutive times, securing 7 championship game appearances and clinching the title 5 times. David inspired generations of young athletes. He was a great coach on the field, but it's the life lessons he taught that truly impacted his players. This past April, at age 74 with terminal cancer, David picked up the mitt one final time to pitch an entire game for his granddaughter.
David was the rock of the family and will be greatly missed. His legacy will be carried on by his loving wife, Jeanette; his three children, Melissa Pieja, Brett Hensley, and Lauren Reicis; his 6 grandchildren, Jack, Ben, Eva, Alice, Elliot, and Aleksandrs; and a host of loving in-laws, brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, cousins, friends, and teammates.
Viewing hours will be held on Friday December 17, 2021 at The Finegan Funeral Home, 302 Heckman St., Phillipsburg, NJ, from 6 to 8 pm. A Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday December 18, 2021 at 10:30 am at St. Philip & St. James Catholic Church, 430 S. Main St., Phillipsburg, NJ. Interment will follow in the parish cemetery in Greenwich Twp., NJ.
In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made in David's memory to Lower Nazareth Softball or American Cancer Society. Donations to Lower Nazareth Softball can be made in the form of a check to Lower Nazareth Baseball and Softball and sent c/o Carin Conus to 4583 Fairway Road, Bethlehem, PA 18020 or via league Venmo account: @LN-Baseball-Softball. Donations to the American Cancer Society can be made online at https://donate3.cancer.org/ or via phone at 1-800-227-2345.