Mike Henry was born July 22, 1951, to Jesse Richard and Nathalia Rose Forbes Henry in Louisiana. He grew up the middle child of a military family and spent his formative years stationed across the pond in England, a country he would always hold dear. Just after returning stateside, he graduated from Gosnell High School in Blytheville, AR. He continued his education at Louisiana State University where he earned a BS in Zoology, enlisted in Air Force ROTC, and earned a MS in Physiology. He then attended the Tulane University School of Medicine, graduating in 1979. During his time at Tulane, Mike belonged to a small but distinguished group of medical students known as the Tulane Piemen. After completing his residency in General Surgery at Tulane, Dr. Henry was assigned to Columbus AFB in Columbus, MS.
After leaving the Air Force, Dr. Henry practiced medicine in the Golden Triangle area for 35 years as a General Surgeon and an Emergency Room Physician. He loved his work and the communities he served. Dr. Henry took up his battle with cancer with his trademark determination, and continued to work as an ER physician long after his diagnosis. When he wasn’t “saving lives and stamping out illness,” Mike was an avid traveler and fisherman. His years were benchmarked by annual trips with his family to the Gulf Coast. He loved deep sea sport fishing, experiencing new cultures, and vacationing in Belize as often as he could. He battled cancer with unwavering resolve and, while the cardiac event that ultimately took his life was unexpected, he found both peace and victory over cancer that day.
Dr. Henry is survived by his sons, Jeffrey Beauregard Henry (Anna) and Brian Gill Barnett (Margaret); and his daughters, Allie Courtney Henry Workmon (Charlie) and Katheryn Grace Henry Zumo (Luke); along with 17 grandchildren, Kate, Lucy, Sam, Ellie, Molly Rose, and Joe Workmon, Rocky, Cecilia, Birdie Clare, Blaise, and Isaiah Zumo, Elizabeth, Kate Rose, and Grace Barnett, Ian Graham, and Evie and Malcolm Lewis. He is also survived by his brother, Richard Arthur Henry.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Jesse and Rose; and his sister, Patricia Grace Henry Gaylor. A private family service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of Dr. Michael Henry to Tulane University School of Medicine. Visit www.giving.tulane.edu and click “Schools & Units” to give directly to the School of Medicine.