Gene Michael Hensleigh

Gene Hensleigh ObituaryObituary published on Legacy.com by Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home - Jordan on Feb. 25, 2026.Gene Michael Hensleigh, 75, of Colstrip, MT, passed away on Tuesday, February 24th, while enjoying Willie Nelson's Red Headed Stranger album and listening to his son Will play along on the guitar. He and Robbie used to dance to "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain," and hearing it brought a big smile to his face, just before his passing.Gene was born on June 5th, 1950, in Jordan, MT, the fifth child of George Hensleigh and Freda (Kasper) Hensleigh. He grew up working on the family ranch east of Jordan and spent wonderful years living and working with his family at the local retirement home, where they helped care for the residents. Gene was a bright student and graduated as Salutatorian of the Class of 1968.Gene had a lifelong love of sports, beginning in his youth and continuing through high school, where he played football, track, and-his favorite-basketball. He spent countless hours practicing free throws, believed in the power of a good bounce pass and was a staunch believer in using the backboard. He was especially proud to be part of the 1966 Jordan Mustangs team that made it to the State Tournament.He went on to attend Montana State University in Bozeman, pursuing a Chemistry degree. Despite having excellent grades, after three years of college, Gene chose a new direction for his life and joined the Peace Corps. He spent the next several years in Guatemala and Ecuador, helping local farmers develop modern farming techniques. He cherished this chapter of his life and carried with him lifelong memories of the beautiful landscapes and the people he met, but love for a schoolteacher back home that he lovingly called his School "Marmie" called him home.Between Gene's time in Guatemala and Ecuador, Gene met Robbie McKoy a young teacher working at the 6X-7W Buffalo Ranch in the UL Bend area of the Missouri River Breaks, near Sand Springs, Montana. They continued to write through his time away and ultimately love called him back to Montana. It took him a while to finally pop the question, but he wised up and they were married June 27th, of 1981 at the Little White Church in Malta, Montana. They had a beautiful reception filled with family and friends at Robbie's parents' house in Malta, and they joined together to start a humble life filled with love in Colstrip.Throughout his life, Gene was known for his good-natured outspokenness, his big heart, and his generosity. He began his career as a Carpenter/Millwright Apprentice, helping build several recognizable buildings in Billings, MT. The construction of Units 3 & 4 brought him to Colstrip, MT, where fate had a grander plan for him to build his life and his family. Starting out in Colstrip Gene was part of the Bechtel and Zurn crews that built the Units 3&4 cooling towers. He was later hired by the Montana Power Company as a Journeyman Mechanic, working countless overhauls and plant outages and developing lifelong friendships on the Fuel Crew, Mill Crew, and as a Shift Mechanic. He particularly enjoyed the time he spent rebuilding the Turbines and Generator on all 4 units and the skill and precision that it takes to rebuild one of the largest power plants in the west. Gene took a lot of pride in his work, and he loved being a craftsman. He brought that mentality to the Coal Mills and loved troubleshooting issues and helping them run at the highest level. Gene got to work the last few years of his career before retirement with his oldest son Shane as a new Engineer at the plant.Gene's contribution to the world can be measured in the lights and heat that stayed on in people's homes during the frigid nights he worked, in the coal, oil, and grease he scrubbed from his fingernails at the end of each day, and by the love of his family that were so proud of their husband and father who gave so much of himself for them.Outside of work Gene always had a large garden and instilled in his son's a love for the land and for growing things. This was an extension of his childhood and time spent on the family ranch in Jordan. For leisure, Gene valued family vacations at Flathead and Swan Lakes, and supporting his kids in all their activities. Whether it was football, basketball, wrestling, or track, Gene and Robbie were always in the stands cheering on their three boys, their plethora of nieces and nephews, and the rest of the Colstrip Colts and Montana Tech Orediggers.Gene had a lifetime love of learning and a strong competitive nature when it came to Jeopardy. This love of learning, thirst for knowledge, and drive to understand how things work he passed on to his sons Ryan, Will, and Shane, and is something that they will always share.He is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 46 years, Robbie (McKoy) Hensleigh; their three sons and their families, Shane and Chelsea (Axtell) Hensleigh, Will Hensleigh (Whitney Baustadt), and Ryan and Sameeksha (Tomar) Hensleigh; and his grandchildren Addi Hensleigh, Cooper Hensleigh, and Leena Hensleigh. He is also survived by his brothers Darrell Hensleigh and wife Carole, Jerry Hensleigh, and Patrick Hensleigh, his sisters Rosemary Malloy and Janette Hensleigh. He was preceded in death by his parents, George and Freda Hensleigh, brother Bobby Hensleigh, sister-in-law Jonie Hensleigh and brother-in-law Ron Malloy.He especially cherished his longtime friends Dunc and Halle McDonald, Jerry Lufborough, Jim Vial, Daniel Burgess, Carleen (Singer) Kulbeck, Pat Talbot, Charlie O'Connor, Richard Cooley, Jim Stone, Duane Ankney, Scott White, The Colstrip" Rusty Zipper Crew" Bailey Egan, Joe Novasio, Greg Koczur, Tom Shahan, Jerry Becker, Hugh Broadus, Bob Cope, Ron Burton, Dennis Kuchynka, Steve Fairclough, and many other friends from Jordan, Colstrip, and across Montana that touched Gene's life.A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, March 28th 2026, at 11:00 A.M. at St. Margaret Mary's Catholic Church in Colstrip, MT, with burial to follow at a later date.In lieu of flowers and in memory of Gene, the family requests that you plant a tree in his memory.He will be remembered most for the love he had for his family and the pride he took in watching his sons and grandchildren grow. His legacy lives on in the sons he raised, the values he taught, and the family who will carry his spirit forward.With heartfelt gratitude, we extend a very special thank you to Tresa Cady, Bill Briggs, and Deb Terret for their kindness and support. We are also deeply appreciative of the compassionate care provided by the team at the Colstrip Medical Clinic - especially Jackson Craig, John Poole, and the dedicated nursing staff, with special recognition to Brina Hull for her exceptional care and comfort.We are equally grateful to the City of Colstrip, and to Wendy Acton and John Williams, for their support and assistance during this time.To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.