Ronald was born on February 5, 1939 to Guy and Erma (Gantz) Hensley near Durham, Oklahoma. He passed away December 13, 2020 at St. Anthony’s Hospital in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Ronald grew up outside of Durham with four sisters; Vondell, Winonia, Patricia and Karen (who died as an infant) and four brothers: Addie, Dale, Quinlan, and Glen. He graduated Durham High School in 1957 and attended Panhandle State College and Sayre Junior College until he married Darlene Chick on September 7, 1958. They made their home briefly in Dumas, Texas where he worked in a smelter and then in Cheyenne, Oklahoma before moving back to the farm in Durham to raise their three children.
In addition to farming and ranching, Ronald owned and operated a mechanic shop, worked as a custom harvester, was a Roger Mills County Commissioner in the 1980s and worked for the County until he retired at the age of 72.
Ronald was an extremely hard worker and skilled mechanic. It seemed like there was nothing he could not make work. He took care of the farm until his death.
He was a kind person willing to help anyone, but also had an ornery streak. There are very few pictures of him where he wasn’t making a silly face. His grandkids called him “Papa Stupid Head” because of those faces and all the crazy things he taught them. Ronald enjoyed arrowhead hunting, fishing, gardening, and working on antique tractors, which he thought of as just tractors. He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers; Dale and Quinlan, four sisters: Vondell, Winonia, Patricia and Karen; his wife, Darlene and one son, Steve.
He is survived by two brothers, Addie and wife Norma of Pampa, Texas and Glen and wife Sherry of High Rolls, New Mexico, one sister-in-law, Charlene Felton of Boerne, Texas; daughters, Teresa Sibley and her husband Jay of Weatherford, Oklahoma and Becky Barney and her husband Glen Dale of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; eight grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren; as well as several special cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.
Ronald was a loving, protective and supportive husband and father and a super fun grandpa. He will be greatly missed. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Durham Community Building or Fairview Cemetery.