Dr. William Frederick Hensold

Dr. William Frederick Hensold (Bill) 92, went to be with the Lord at 3:48pm Tuesday, October 6, 2020.

Bill was born August 11, 1928 in Joliet, Illinois to Harold and Frances (Dye) Hensold.  The family moved to the Danville area, where Bill graduated from Danville High School in 1946. He graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and completed an M.D. from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1953. Bill interned at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Oakland, California. He served as a United States Navy and United States Marine Corps surgeon in the Korean War from 1954-1955 and as a staff physician at the U.S. Naval Hospital at Camp Pendleton, California during 1955-1956.

In 1956, Bill moved his family back to Danville to begin a private practice as a physician and surgeon from 1956 - 2006.  He served at Lakeview Memorial, St. Elizabeth, and Provena United Samaritans Medical Center throughout those years. Bill also served on several boards: PUSMC (Provena), Lakeview College of Nursing, Cris Senior Services, the YMCA, the U of I Medical Center Alumni Association, District 118 Schools, Boy Scouts Advisory, The Rock Church Elders, Encouragers Unlimited (serving Kings’ Kids Village in Nairobi, Kenya).  Bill was also affiliated with the boards of AMA Illinois State Medical Society, and American Academy of Family Practice. After retirement, he continued to volunteer with the Samaritan Health Partners and Grace Family Health Care.  He stayed active with the Nursing College Board, Hospital Governing Board, and was Medical Director at Colonial Manor Nursing Home. 

Bill married Mary Carson on September 2, 1950 in Danville. Bill and Mary had four children: three sons, Tom (Diane Speir) Hensold, Dr. Jim (Lori) Hensold and Joe (Margie) Hensold; and one daughter, Mary "Molly" (Jon) Stern; seventeen grandchildren, Jesse (Melanie) Hensold, Andrea (Dan) Myers, Peter (Katie) Stern, Andy (Katherine Meacham) Hensold, Paul (Amy) Stern, Ben (Katie) Hensold, David (Elizabeth) Hensold, Lydia (Tray) Murundu, Janelle Hensold, Kevin Hensold-Speir, Rachel Hensold, Christen Stern, Grace Hensold, Anna Stern, Joy Hensold, Joe Stern, and Sarah Stern. Mary passed away on May 11, 2008. Bill married Jane (McCaughey) Spencer in 2015. Bill is survived by his wife, Jane, his sister Jean Hull, and his 4 children, 17 grand children and 24 great-grandchildren.

All who knew Bill well, knew him to be a man of loving dedication to family, church and community.  His door was open to all who came, and he was also known to make “house calls” or just neighborly visits, checking up on people who needed encouragement. He loved gardening and taking care of his pets. Bill had a brilliant mind and a great sense of humor. His active lifestyle included reading, journaling, studying the Bible, singing hymns, traveling (usually to connect with family), and regular exercise;  playing tennis, walking and biking up to his last hours. 

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, his first wife Mary, and his brother, Harold.   

Bill and his family express the desire for any memorials to be made to King's Kids Village Orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya, Africa. Bill’s desire is that these gifts be used for the education of the children there. Tax deductible donations may be made to Encouragers Unlimited Ministries, and earmarked as “Hensold Memorial for King's Kids Village” and sent to P.O. Box 1436, Danville, Illinois, 61834. Memorials may also be sent through the website: www.encouragelife.org/donate   and earmarked as “Hensold Memorial for Kings’ Kids Village.”  

Messages and memories may be left at www.KrugerCoanPape.com, or on the Kruger-Coan-Pape Funeral Home Facebook page.

Due to the Covid crisis and current restrictions, there will be a family only memorial service on Saturday, October 17, 2020 at 1pm.  This service will be Live Streamed and the family would like to invite you to join them in that way.  Rock Church Facebook Live Stream:  http://www.facebook.com/RockChurchDanvilleIL

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