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Car hits bicycle, claims Judge Henry's life
(by Joan Demirjian - May 25, 2011)
Car hits bicycle, claims Judge Henry's life
By JOAN DEMIRJIAN
In his role as Geauga County Juvenile and Probate Court judge, Charles "Chip" Henry worked to help the young people who went before him. "He just really cared for the kids and making their life better," Geauga County Common Pleas Court Judge Forrest Burt said.
Mr. Henry, 53, died May 23 while he was riding his bicycle on Rapids Road in Troy Township. He was traveling north and was struck by a northbound car driven by Kelly Cox, 42, of Troy, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
The crash that occurred about 7:35 p.m. was under investigation early this week, and no charges had been filed in the incident, according to Lt. J.T. Sivak, of the Highway Patrol.
Mr. Henry grew up in the Lake Lucerne community in Bainbridge, and he and his wife, Linda, lived in Auburn. They have two grown children, Charles Adam and Kimberly.
His sister Dodie Lee, a magistrate in Geauga County Common Pleas Court, recalled how her brother would read sports and academic news coverage for local high schools. He would send letters of congratulations to those students who had been before him in court.
"He was a great judge, father, husband, son and brother," Mrs. Lee said.
In addition to children, Mr. Henry loved the outdoors, according to Mr. Burt. "He loved hunting, fishing and riding his motorcycle. He rode his motorcycle to court on Monday."
As probate judge, it was Mr. Henry's responsibility to appoint people to the Geauga Park District board. "He would find other people who loved the outdoors as much as he did," Mr. Burt said.
"One of the things about Geauga County is we are all family, and the judges in particular," Mr. Burt said. "We truly like each other, and Chip was truly good."
Mr. Burt remembered sharing a private law office in Chardon with Mr. Henry, who was a young attorney at the time and a graduate from Cleveland State University's John Marshall School of Law. His late father, Gene Henry, also shared the office.
"He had a client who couldn't pay her bill," Mr. Burt said. "He was worried about her and her kids being cold, and he went out to cut firewood for them. That was Chip," he said.
"And you didn't have to be born a Henry to be a Henry," Mr. Burt said. "The whole world was their family."
Mr. Henry served in the Peace Corps from 1980 to 1982 and met his wife there while they were both working in Southern Africa. They later returned to the South African villages for their 25th wedding anniversary.
Former Bainbridge Police Chief James Jimison worked with Mr. Henry for many years, referring cases from the police department to the judge.
"Chip did a remarkable job. The kids' welfare was always foremost, but he knew their behavior had to be corrected. He always made a decision with the child's future in mind," Mr. Jimison said.
"I always felt comfortable talking with him on situations," he said. "He was down to earth. While he wasn't lenient, he was always fair. He worked with hundreds of cases involving juveniles over the years. The continuity was good, especially with a judge as good as Chip."
Mr. Jimison recently was asked to serve as a voluntary bailiff one day a week in Mr. Henry's court.
Bainbridge Police Chief Jon Bokovitz said Tuesday, "In all my dealings with juvenile court, Judge Henry was always looking out for the welfare of the children.
"He was always aboveboard in dealing with our department regarding juvenile matters," Mr. Bokovitz said. "He was a great man for that position. He really cared for the juveniles who went before him."
Robert Ford, of Auburn, a neighbor and boyhood friend of Mr. Henry, said he was the perfect friend. "Whenever someone needed a hand, he was there," he said. "No one I ever met cared for kids and people like Chip. His undying support of children was unbelievable."
Mr. Ford recalled when his daughter was undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer. She had difficulty in getting to the school bus in the mornings, he said. "Chip drove her to Kenston every day."
Mr. Ford, Mr. Henry and their friend David Chittock graduated together in 1976. Mr. Ford and Mr. Chittock lived on Shaw Road and had property between them that they used to create a five-acre lot for Mr. and Mrs. Henry to locate their home.
"We go back to grade school together," Mr. Chittock said. "Chip's mother, Jeanne Henry, was my first-grade teacher."
Mr. Chittock and Mr. Henry attended Miami University of Ohio. "We had an amazing friendship. But the real story is Chip's giving nature. He was always helping out kids," he said.
"He was the most honorable and caring guy ever," Mr. Chittock said. "He genuinely loved kids and children. He did so much for everyone."
Mr. Henry was elected to the Ohio Senate in 1988 and served one term. He was appointed in 1993 by former Ohio Gov. George Voinovich to Geauga County Juvenile and Probate Court, succeeding the late Judge Frank G. Lavich.
Russell Township Trustee and former Geauga County Commissioner James Mueller said Mr. Henry followed in his father's footsteps. "I heard he was a tough judge, and police had great respect for him," he said.
Geauga County Commissioner William Young said, "Chip was a very professional, honest and straightforward individual."
He was always very understanding when the county revenue was tight, he said. "And he was good about managing his staff. He was such a good team player. He was a wonderful individual and very, very professional."
Former Geauga County Commissioner and former Bainbridge Trustee William Repke, a resident of Lake Lucerne, said, "I watched the Henry family grow up. I played tennis with him and his dad.
"He was deeply involved with Family First in the county, Big Brother and the Court Appointed Child Advocacy program," Mr. Repke said. "He did so much with the juvenile detention center in Portage County. It serves Geauga County. He affected and served every Geauga family. This is a tragedy for everyone."
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