Jason Keith Hensley was born to Nelson and Cornelia Talent Hensley on April 25, 1977, and grew up in Connelly Springs, North Carolina. He was a good student and graduated from East Burke High School in 1995.

Jason was always inquisitive. He was never happy just knowing something worked. Whatever it was, he was determined to dismantle it to see its guts. Jason was not satisfied until he figured out how to make it work faster, be louder, or do something it was never intended for. His other love as a child was playing matchbox cars in the dirt basement of the house where he was raised. He and the neighborhood kids used anything they could find to build a city complete with roads, tunnels, buildings, and bridges.

Jason eventually discovered he could combine his curiosity about how things worked and his love of anything on wheels. Working on bicycles quickly grew into go-carts and motorcycles and eventually into cars and trucks. He knew from an early age that he would make his living as a mechanic.

Jason and Lydia Rayburn were married in 1997. Zackary was born that year, followed by Jordan in 2001. Jason was proud of his family and devoted his life to making sure they had everything they needed.

As the boys grew and began playing T-ball, soccer, and racing dirt bikes, Jason coached their teams. He loved all those kids. He taxied them around for games and practice, let them stay at his house, fed them when they were hungry, and made sure they knew they were loved. Jordan and Zack were his heart and soul, but all those young’uns he coached were “his kids.”

Jason joined the Triple Community Fire Department on March 28, 2017. He devoted his time to running calls, attending meetings and trainings, helping work on trucks at the station, and going to classes. From April-October 2017, Jason put in 235 hours of training and responded to 92 fire calls. On October 9, 2017, he answered his final call. While responding to a tree across a highway Jason was struck and killed by an impaired driver. He was dedicated and passionate about the fire service, and we were honored to serve our community alongside him.

Jason was a prankster with a slightly warped and quirky sense of humor. His hands were callused and scarred from 20+ years turning wrenches and hard work. His touch was firm but warm. He spent his time doing what was needed. Sometimes he would fuss and cuss as he went out the door to do it, but he would get it done.