Obituary of Henry Horace Plume

Henry Horace “Hank” Plume died August 28, 2017 at the age of 97.“Hank”, as he was known to his friends, was a Christian first and foremost but also a man of great vision, confidence, and integrity. Everyone that met Hank was struck by his self-possession and immediately knew they were in the presence of someone special. He was thoughtful, thought-provoking, wise, and encouraging making everyone feel he had only their best interest at heart. Hank’s life may be characterized by his love for God; his love of his wife, Kay; his devotion to his family; his many achievements; his generosity; his bravery; and his service.His life began on April 14, 1921 in Sweet Home, Texas where he was educated in a four-room school house. After his family moved to Yoakum, Texas, he graduated from Yoakum High School, attended the University of Texas in Austin and Jamestown College in Jamestown, ND. From the beginning, it was evident Hank was geared for success. He took great pride in his appearance (he always had shined shoes!), his numerous job and community responsibilities, and his personal values.Hank married the love of his life, Kay in 1948. He always said when they married they “…left on their honeymoon and never came back!” To say Hank and Kay were devoted to each other would be an understatement. He considered her his sublime gift, blessed by God and to that end, they faithfully served each other for 58 years. Their children consider themselves unbelievably fortunate to have had such an example of a Christian marriage built on love and respect.Hank felt the call of his country during World War II and enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He became a B-17 Flying Fortress pilot with the 390th Bomb Group, U.S. 8th Air Force, flying from Framlingham Airfield, England. After completing his 15th mission, but before arriving safely back in England, he became an elite member of the Caterpillar Club – definitely not a “club” one would choose to join. Hank’s aircraft was shot down over German enemy territory necessitating bailing out at 28,000 feet. He was subsequently captured and became a Prisoner of War housed at Stalag Luft I on the Baltic Sea. Hank had some incredible stories regarding his POW experiences which he shared with many people – always the motivation being to help others see what is meant by “duty, honor, country”. He was awarded the Air Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, the POW Medal, and the European Theater of Operations Campaign Medal with one Bronze Star. He remained active in the United States Air Force Reserve achieving the rank of Captain.In a lifetime of service to his Lord, he held countless church leadership positions, which included chairing committees, board membership, and teaching. Not only did Hank faithfully serve his church, he also devoted much time to his community – extending this even to the far reaches of Hawaii! He was Vice-President for Development of Hawaii Baptist Academy (HBA) in Honolulu and was State Chairman of HBA Mainland Advisory Council. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge, the Fort Worth Scottish Rite Body and the Fort Worth Airpower Council; he was Director and Past President of 390th Bomb Group Veterans Association and Director of its Museum Foundation in Tucson, AZ. Hank also was an executive member of the Wise County Horse Committee.Hank considered his life to have been richly blessed by his life-mate, Kay; his children and their spouses; his grandchildren; his parents and siblings; and his many, many, friends. He rejoiced in his long life well lived and we praise God for having known him.