AS a funeral director of great compassion, Allen Henshaw touched generations of bereaved families with kind words of comfort.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
He directed hundreds of funerals in Albury with quiet dignity, dressed in his traditional black jacket and striped trousers.
On Monday, his own funeral will be held at St Patrick’s Church and the cortege will go on a journey he led so many times — to Glenmorus Gardens.
Mr Henshaw, 88, who died in hospital on Monday, was a well-known public figure but was also a family man with a passion for football and racing cars.
The former taxi driver and Lester & Son funeral director of 50 years has been remembered as a tireless worker who never had a cross word to say.
Youngest son Peter Henshaw was always impressed by his knowledge of the Albury cemetery, able to find graves quickly.
Daughter Mandi Goyne, when growing up, often saw how her father counselled mourning families.
“He would sit them in his office and they would be crying, but in a matter of minutes he would have them sharing happy stories of their loved one,” she said.
“He knew how to get people in a calmer frame of mind.”
Close friend and former Lester & Son owner Mike Egan said: “Allen worked for me and my wife for 25 years and he never had a cross word to say,” he said.
“He was on-call 24 hours a day and it never worried him.”
“He loved his black taxi and it was always the cleanest taxi and encountered many weddings.
Mr Henshaw was a life member of St Patrick’s Junior Football Club.
Eldest son Terry said his father received an AFL recognition award in 2001 for his years of service to country football.
Eldest daughter Jan Knox recalled his love of car racing, his work at the Hume Weir circuit and friendship with Formula 1 champion Sir Jack Brabham.
“Jack stopped at my place a couple of times overnight and he used to put his racing car in my shed,” Mr Henshaw told The Border Mail earlier this year.
Mr Henshaw, whose wife Joan died several years ago, is survived by his four children Terry, Peter, Jan and Mandi, 12 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Monday’s service starts at 1.30pm.