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Thursday, April 3, 2008

Moriarty Motocross Rider Honored

By Harold Smith
Mountain View Telegraph
    No. 91 is riding on that big dirt track in the sky.
    William H. Hensley— "Bill" to his family, "Bear" to his motocross buddies— died unexpectedly of complications from pneumonia at his Moriarty home on Feb. 22, one day shy of his 51st birthday.
    In his honor, the inaugural Bear Hensley Memorial Races were held at Sandia Motocross Park on Sunday.
    "He was a pioneer of motocross in this state," said Bob Clark, president of Sandia Motocross. "He trained with and worked with some of the best riders in the state."
    Hensley would have liked the event, according to his family and friends. The high-pitched sound of revving engines and the sharp smell of exhaust permeated the air.
    Two free races— the Bears' Buds Class for those over 40, and the under-40 Bears' Kids Class— were held in his memory. Several riders wore Hensley's pro-circuit No. 91 on their jerseys.
    "We had about 200 riders," Clark said. "That's a testament to Bear. We usually only have about 150 (at this point in the season). We're going to try to have it every year."
    Though Hensley earned lots of trophies during his life, his most important legacy might be his generosity. He even bought a water truck and a tractor with his own money so kids could ride at the gravel-pit area southeast of Moriarty, Clark said.
    "This was just a tribute," Earl Lewis of Edgewood said after he rode in the no-jumps Bears' Buds race. "It was for us, so we could tell Bear that we miss him and love him."
    Hensley used to wear a "Team Jesus" patch on his jersey.
    "If he wanted to be remembered for anything, it was that he was piloted by Christ," added Lewis, Hensley's friend. "He was ready for that last flight."
    Robert Hensley, Bill's father, said folks who have never lost a child, regardless of their age, can't really understand what it feels like.
    "I called him Thursday (Feb. 21) and asked him how he was doing," Robert Hensley said. "He said he was doing fine. He said, 'I got all that junk in my chest out.' But he died Friday (Feb. 22).
    "The (memorial) is very important to the whole family," continued Bill's father, who resides in Moriarty. "Some of his friends came a long ways to be here."
    Bill Hensley graduated from Moriarty High in 1975. He was the owner of Air-Tech, a heating and air conditioning company located north of Moriarty on N.M. 41, said Georgia Guenther, his bookkeeper and a longtime family friend.
    "It was hard," Guenther said. "I've known him since he was 2 years old."
    Hensley was preceded in death by his mother, Nella Hensley. He is also survived by sister Karen Ford and husband Jim of Estancia, sister Linda Anderson and husband Ellan of Moriarty, and several nieces and nephews.
    Hensley also is survived by his fiancee, Lill Hermes and her son, Ryan Szabo, of Florida.
    "I hope all of you have a good time because that's the most important thing," Robert Hensley told the riders prior to the races on Sunday. "He'd appreciate all of you showing up."