Bebe Henry

Bebe Henry

Augusta, GA – Entered into rest Tuesday, July 31, 2018, Mrs. Athie Lovell Henry, 85, loving wife to the late Lt. Col. David E. Henry (US Army Ret).

Bebe was a devoted army wife of 17 years to her husband Dave. She was a case manager for Senior Independent Living for the state of Georgia, as well as working for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the Arthritis Foundation and Foster Grandparents. Bebe was a dearly devoted mother to her four children.

She is survived by family members including her sons: Corky Henry (Cindy) of Tyler, TX, Sam Henry of Martinez, GA; daughters: Tara Henry and Heidi Henry both of Augusta; six grandchildren (Christia, David, Brittany, Tiffany, April and Hayden); four great grandchildren (Tyler, Palmer, Luke and Reese); brothers: Preston Young, Greg Young; and sisters: Verna Mayfield and Corrine Young.

Bebe was born in Fitzgerald,Georgia to her mother (Melba) and father (Lee). She was one of ten surviving children (Elton, Verna, Arthur, Arleigh, Corrine, Bobby, Robert (RB), Preston and Greg). Bebe loved playing basketball in high school and eventually played semiprofessional basketball for the JL Martin Company in Baltimore, Maryland. While working for the company, she met her future husband, Dave. Dave was a young Army officer and after they married they lived across the country and around the world while the family grew by four children (Tara, Corky, Heidi and Sam). After Dave died of illness in the seventeenth year of their marriage, Bebe reared their four children as a single mother. While children were still at home, she decided to pursue post secondary education and earned two degrees from Augusta College (AA - Criminal Justice and BA - Psychology) and three separate certifications from Augusta Tech (Cabinetmaking, Carpentry and Business).

She was always the one to stand up for those who were vulnerable or unable to fully stand for themselves. This was certainly evident in her work to allow those mentally handicapped individuals who were capable of mostly independent living to live free from being institutionalized. Bebe also worked to better the lives of those stricken with muscular dystrophy and those with Arthritis. Another telling example of her care for others was her work to facilitate mentally handicapped and senior citizens to share and enrich each others' lives.

Bebe loved making items out of wood, making jewelry, and creating all kinds of craftwork. Her gardening was a passion and she thoroughly enjoyed taking pictures of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren with her flowers.

A funeral service will be Saturday, August 4, 2018, 12:00 Noon in the chapel of Thomas Poteet & Son. Burial will follow in Westover Memorial Park.

If so desired, in lieu of flowers charitable donations may be made to MDA, 2700 Middleburg Drive, Suite 240, Columbia, SC 29204.

The family will receive friends Saturday morning one hour prior to the service beginning at 11:00 A.M. at Thomas Poteet & Son Funeral Directors, 214 Davis Rd., Augusta, GA 30907 (706) 364-8484. Please sign the guestbook at www.thomaspoteet.com