Obituary for Henry Lesel England
Henry Lesel “H.L.” England, 67, of Sparta TN, died December 17 from COVID-19.
On June 30, 1953, H.L. was born to Bransford and Helen England. H.L. was the middle son and grew up playing and fighting with his brothers, Joe and Gerald. By the age of six, H.L. could milk a cow and drive a tractor. If you asked H.L. about his childhood, he would tell you stories about being sent out in the morning with a five-gallon bucket to pick blackberries, being taught how to fish by his step-grandpa Bob Burgess (who just had one arm, by the way), or about the time his brother locked him out of the bathroom and H.L. busted a hole in the door with a baseball bat.
During his years at White County High School, H.L. met and fell in love with Rita Slatten. He kept the roads hot driving down to Quebeck to see her in his Ford Pinto, which Rita said “smelled like hogs.” The two were married on June 12, 1974. Just two years later, Rita went into labor while H.L. was at the lake fishing; he barely made it to the hospital by the time their daughter Carol was born. Shortly thereafter, they welcomed another sweet baby girl, Heather, into the world.
In 1974, H.L. and Steve Breedlove formed a plumbing and electrical company called Warren Mechanical Contractors. For 20 years, H.L. co-owned the company, which is still in business today. From 1998 until 2015, H.L. worked as a deputy electrical inspector contracting for the State of Tennessee. Later, H.L. became the Codes officer for the City of Sparta, and then, for a short time he was the director of Sparta Electric System. H.L. was generous with his time and talent and often did free electrical work for friends and neighbors. H.L. also took part in several mission trips with his daughter Carol.
Since retiring, H.L. has enjoyed fishing on Center Hill Lake, especially with his sidekick and grandson Aiden Mullins, working on the farm with his daughter and son-in-law Heather and Chris Mullins, FaceTiming nearly daily with his granddaughter Marin McEntyre, and hosting his grandson Nate for weeks at a time in the summer. H.L. was dearly loved by his family and friends and was an example of what a good man should be; he was strong but gentle and taught us to be honest and to treat people well. He was a devoted follower of Jesus Christ and an active member and deacon at Hickory Valley Baptist Church. You may consider donating in his honor to the Hickory Valley Baptist Church Community Ministry fund.
H.L. is survived by his children: Carol McEntyre (husband Michael and their children Nate and Marin), Heather Mullins (husband Chris and their son Aiden), his mother Helen Johnson England and his brothers Joe (Kathy), Gerald (Rebecca) and many nieces and nephews. H.L. has now entered the glory and peace promised to him by God; he is reunited with his wife, Rita, and his father, Bransford.
Our family has suffered a devastating loss due to COVID-19, and we do not wish to risk anyone else having to go through this experience by giving the virus the opportunity to spread further.
As such, there will not be an in-person remembrance at this time. A virtual memorial service will be held Sunday, December 20, at 3:00 pm. You can watch online at the Hickory ValleyBaptist Church YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy3NZUTz7JHUSyntHYTkmuQ. Since we cannot gather in person to share stories and celebrate H.L.’s life in the way he deserves, we are asking that you share words of encouragement, and stories of remembrance on the Oak Lawn Funeral Home website. We are also planning to host a fishing tournament in honor of H.L. later in 2021 (details to follow). Thank you for your love and support.
On June 30, 1953, H.L. was born to Bransford and Helen England. H.L. was the middle son and grew up playing and fighting with his brothers, Joe and Gerald. By the age of six, H.L. could milk a cow and drive a tractor. If you asked H.L. about his childhood, he would tell you stories about being sent out in the morning with a five-gallon bucket to pick blackberries, being taught how to fish by his step-grandpa Bob Burgess (who just had one arm, by the way), or about the time his brother locked him out of the bathroom and H.L. busted a hole in the door with a baseball bat.
During his years at White County High School, H.L. met and fell in love with Rita Slatten. He kept the roads hot driving down to Quebeck to see her in his Ford Pinto, which Rita said “smelled like hogs.” The two were married on June 12, 1974. Just two years later, Rita went into labor while H.L. was at the lake fishing; he barely made it to the hospital by the time their daughter Carol was born. Shortly thereafter, they welcomed another sweet baby girl, Heather, into the world.
In 1974, H.L. and Steve Breedlove formed a plumbing and electrical company called Warren Mechanical Contractors. For 20 years, H.L. co-owned the company, which is still in business today. From 1998 until 2015, H.L. worked as a deputy electrical inspector contracting for the State of Tennessee. Later, H.L. became the Codes officer for the City of Sparta, and then, for a short time he was the director of Sparta Electric System. H.L. was generous with his time and talent and often did free electrical work for friends and neighbors. H.L. also took part in several mission trips with his daughter Carol.
Since retiring, H.L. has enjoyed fishing on Center Hill Lake, especially with his sidekick and grandson Aiden Mullins, working on the farm with his daughter and son-in-law Heather and Chris Mullins, FaceTiming nearly daily with his granddaughter Marin McEntyre, and hosting his grandson Nate for weeks at a time in the summer. H.L. was dearly loved by his family and friends and was an example of what a good man should be; he was strong but gentle and taught us to be honest and to treat people well. He was a devoted follower of Jesus Christ and an active member and deacon at Hickory Valley Baptist Church. You may consider donating in his honor to the Hickory Valley Baptist Church Community Ministry fund.
H.L. is survived by his children: Carol McEntyre (husband Michael and their children Nate and Marin), Heather Mullins (husband Chris and their son Aiden), his mother Helen Johnson England and his brothers Joe (Kathy), Gerald (Rebecca) and many nieces and nephews. H.L. has now entered the glory and peace promised to him by God; he is reunited with his wife, Rita, and his father, Bransford.
Our family has suffered a devastating loss due to COVID-19, and we do not wish to risk anyone else having to go through this experience by giving the virus the opportunity to spread further.
As such, there will not be an in-person remembrance at this time. A virtual memorial service will be held Sunday, December 20, at 3:00 pm. You can watch online at the Hickory ValleyBaptist Church YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy3NZUTz7JHUSyntHYTkmuQ. Since we cannot gather in person to share stories and celebrate H.L.’s life in the way he deserves, we are asking that you share words of encouragement, and stories of remembrance on the Oak Lawn Funeral Home website. We are also planning to host a fishing tournament in honor of H.L. later in 2021 (details to follow). Thank you for your love and support.