Willis Henry photographed in a Canterbury, N.H., Elder’s rocker, which was sold in his June 18, 2022, auction. Bob Wilkins photo.

Submitted by the Family

WEYMOUTH, MASS. — Willis Russell Henry of Marshfield, Mass., died peacefully, surrounded by his family, on Sunday, September 8, at South Shore Hospital in Weymouth, just two days after his 80th birthday.

Will would have you believe that he was born under the boardwalk during a hurricane in Atlantic City. While the boardwalk and hurricane details are still unconfirmed, he was born in Atlantic City, N.J., to Barbara Henry (née Houk) of Carey, Ohio, and Robert Henry of Enid, Okla., on September 6, 1944. The first of four sons, Will grew up outside of Columbus, Ohio, and spent the summers in Michigan with his grandparents, catching fish at their lake house. He attended high school at Millersburg Military Institute in Kentucky, and college at Ohio University, in Athens, Ohio, where he joined Sigma Chi fraternity. He went on to receive Masters’s degrees in education and acting. It was there that Will met the love of his life and partner in all things, Karel Rowe.

After graduation, Will moved to the West Coast to pursue theater and creative adventures in San Francisco’s Haight Ashbury district, where he spent the late 1960s. Karel soon joined Will there; later, in 1971, they moved in with friends in Beacon Hill, Boston, where Will was proud to secure a job at Brattle Bookshop. A year later, they relocated to Buzzards Bay, and then again to Marshfield to stay with Karel’s parents and save money. It was at this time that Karel’s older brother Charlie “Ranny” Rowe invited Will and Karel to help clean out the basement of his antiques shop in Newport, R.I. There, they discovered a trove of antique blue ink bottles, which they brought along with some other treasures from family and friends to sell at the Boston Flea Market at Faneuil Hall. This was the seed that soon flourished into Will’s lifelong calling and passion for antiques. Soon, the couple were making trips to visit Will’s mother in Ohio, who was also an amateur antiques dealer and collector. They would buy beautiful old country pie safes from contacts of Barbara’s and truck them back to Marshfield to sell at flea markets and shows around New England. They soon opened their own antiques shop, South River Primitives in Marshfield, and, in the fall of 1972, Will and Karel married.

Karel & Willis Henry on the day of their wedding in 1972; they are photographed inside their antiques shop, South River Primitives, in Marshfield, Mass. Photo courtesy Tyler Henry.

Through their love of antiques, they found a new community of friends making the rounds at local flea markets, antiques shows and auctions. Charles and Mary Grace Carpenter first introduced them to Shaker design, sparking an enduring passion. It was around this time in the 1970s that Will first had the opportunity to meet the Shakers living at Sabbathday Lake in Maine. By his account, that day Karel was wearing an ethereal chiffon dress; struck by her appearance, the Shaker sisters pulled her and Will aside to chat and share lunch. Will and Karel continued to grow their business, with Will pivoting to auctioneering in 1975, a natural fit for his theatrical training and talents. In 1980, they founded Willis Henry Auctions, Inc., and, in 1982, they held their first Shaker antiques auction, which became an annual event for more than 40 years. Will would go on to become one of the foremost experts on Shaker furniture in the world; he was also known for his detailed knowledge in many other areas of antiques.

In 1984, Will and Karel welcomed their first son, Tyler, and soon after purchased an old farmhouse in Pembroke, Mass., where they would host many auctions under giant tents in the yard. Tyler remembers these events from his childhood fondly as being like the circus coming to town in his own backyard, with family and friends all lending a hand. In 1990, Will and Karel welcomed their second son, Caleb, who Will referred to as “his little guy.” Caleb was born with special needs and Will could not have been a more devoted father and lifelong advocate for him. Will and Karel continued to work together and completed their final Shaker auction this past June after 51 years of marriage. In the last years of Will’s life, his focus turned from the business of antiques to some of the pastimes he always enjoyed with his friends and family like traveling, fishing, gardening and music.

Will’s love of antiques and history played a large role in his choice to become an auctioneer, but it was his love of people and their personal stories that fueled his passion. Will made friends wherever he went. It seemed like every day he had a new story to tell about someone he had just met, to whom everyone should be introduced. He was always connecting people through their common interests and experiences and he never wanted anyone to feel alone. He was a gregarious, funny storyteller and performer with an empathetic, introspective and creative heart. Will was a caring father and husband and would do anything for those he loved. He loved to surprise friends and family with unique trinkets and presents, and frequently brought flowers and pastries to Tyler and daughter-in-law, Annelise, or a new maraca he had made or found for Caleb. He shared his love of music, especially the blues, with his whole family, and he would take Caleb to every live music event that he could find. He was a big fan of the “drop-in” and would show up at both the best and worst of times just to tell you he was thinking about you or wanted to hear your voice. He believed in serendipity and that our experiences have significance beyond what we can understand and he was always looking for those deeper meanings.

Willis Henry sold the Shaker Collection of Dr Jerry and Miriam McCue in multiple sessions, beginning on September 8, 2012. He is photographed at that sale with, from left, Brian McCue and his mother, Miriam McCue, and Karel Henry. Antiques and The Arts Weekly photo.

Willis is survived by his wife, Karel Rowe Henry; his eldest son, Tyler Bingham Henry and wife Annelise Katherine Whitley; his younger son Charles Caleb Bingham Henry; his brothers Stephen Henry, Thomas Henry and Peter Henry; and many other extended family and loved ones.

Willis was preceded in death by his father Robert Henry, mother Barbara Henry (née Houk), mother-in-law Claire Rowe, father-in-law Charles Rowe, and sisters-in-law Cheryl Rowe and Kelly Henry.

A reception was held on Saturday, September 21, followed by a Celebration of Life at MacDonald Funeral Home in Marshfield.

In lieu of flowers, donations should be made to organizations that have supported Will’s loved ones, including Perkins School for the Blind, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, or a charity of your choice.

Willis Russell Henry (1944-2024) In Memoriam

Compiled by Madelia Hickman Ring

In 1973, Suzanne and I bought an Eighteenth Century Dutch farmhouse in Austerlitz, N.Y. Within a year after we arrived, we established our antiques business. At the time, we were part of a close-knit group of dealers living in Columbia County that included Rich and Betty Ann Rasso, Grace and Elliott Snyder, Corey Daniels, John and Jackie Sideli and Michael and Jane Dunn. We were all young, either under 30 years of age or in some cases just a year or two over, and we all shared a deep abiding love for “the stuff.”

Imbued with youthful enthusiasm, energy and reverence for antiques, especially for “untouched” antiques, Suzanne and I signed up for and exhibited at flea markets and antiques shows — a lot of them. It was at one of our earliest shows, possibly at Valle’s Steak House in Saugus, Mass., (now long gone), or at one of Bob Mower’s (who died last year) Compass Antiques Shows on the South Shore of Massachusetts, where we first met fellow exhibitors, Karel and Will Henry.

The four of us were all about the same age. We all shared the same passion for antiques and we hit it off right away. Throughout the ensuing years, our friendship grew. We did many of the same shows. We bought from them; they bought from us. We visited them and spent many nights at their home. Likewise, they visited us and spent many nights at our home. During those visits, we often ventured out together in search of antiques. We had fun — a lot of fun — and our close friendship was palpable to others. We were perceived of as something of a unit, known among older colleagues as “the kids.”

The 1980s saw a shift in our relationship with Karel and Will, who now had two sons to raise, the younger of whom had special needs, requiring much of their attention. What impacted our relationship even more was Will’s decision to shift careers from dealing in antiques to auctioning antiques. In 1982, he conducted the first of what became annual Shaker Auctions.

The material culture of the Shakers was always our specialty, Suzanne’s and mine. Because of that and because we were friends, Karel and Will asked us to help with that inaugural sale, which we eagerly did. As the years passed, Will’s confidence and his credibility as a major player in the Shaker world grew. He had astutely perceived that there was a strong appetite for buying at auction, particularly among collectors. Much to his credit, he strived to establish himself as THE Shaker Auctioneer. I admired and respected him for what he worked so hard to achieve. On many occasions, we directly benefitted from Willis Henry Shaker Auctions, most notably at the 1991 sale at Fruitlands Museum in Harvard, Mass., where we purchased two of the finest pieces of Shaker furniture we ever handled: a beautiful double washstand and a majestic tall chest, both in pristine original condition.

At the same time, on a personal level I missed the closeness that our shared “m.o.” as dealers had engendered. I recognized that Will no longer needed our help, and that we no longer had the same connection that we had enjoyed previously. Suzanne and I had to adjust to the reality that our relationship with Karel and Will had evolved and matured.

Then, in 2015, Suzanne died, and, for the next nine years, Karel and Will were chief among those who supported me with their kindness. It was almost as though we had become “the kids,” and having fun once again. I will be forever grateful to them both for that.
. . . and now Will is gone. I miss you, kid.

Bob Wilkins

Willis Henry, right, at an auction in Hancock Shaker Village on September 16, 2017. Andrea Valluzzo photo for Antiques and The Arts Weekly.

We were saddened to hear of the death of Willis Henry. He has been an essential part of the Shaker market and is responsible for introducing and fostering interest in collecting Shaker pieces. His auctions have provided generations of new collectors with a source for buying, and equally important, he has helped long-time collectors find homes for their collections. It was always a pleasure to talk with Will, and he often reminisced with me about his early days working for Brattle Rare Books.

Scott DeWolfe
DeWolfe and Wood Rare Books

I met Will and Karel Henry in 1977, at the Lyndhurst outdoor show in Tarrytown, N.Y., when they were doing business as “South River Primitives.” Will and Karel were part of a generation of talented young dealers in country Americana and folk art who became influential figures in our business. After Will and Karel became auctioneers, I attended their first Shaker sale in 1982, which became an annual event. These auctions coincided with, and contributed to, the dramatic increase of interest and competition for Shaker antiques. Will Henry brought a wide swath of Shaker pieces to the auction market, from the most humble to major examples, the famous and well known and new discoveries. Of my experiences at those Shaker auctions — the great purchases and disappointing underbids — the most memorable occurred at the 1990 sale of the John Roberts house collection held on the grounds of Mount Lebanon Shaker Village. When we arrived on the morning of the sale, a row of chairs had been placed in front of our reserved seats was occupied by none other than Oprah Winfrey and her friend, the artist and professor, David Driskoll (1931-2020), who were seated right in front of us. Oprah proved outgoing and boisterous, happily doing her own bidding. She had a lot of fun, enthusiastically purchasing many lots in a wide range of prices, said to be furnishings for a Midwestern farmhouse. Interestingly, we only bid against each other on one lot: a small three-drawer counter in original red paint pictured on the catalog cover and conservatively estimated about $40,000. I ended up the underbidder on the counter when Oprah paid $220,000 for it, then a record price for Shaker furniture. Over their years in business, many high water marks of price were established at Willis Henry Shaker auctions. Two of the most extraordinary items were sold in 2006 and established record prices that remain to this day: a work desk attributed to Orren Haskins for $491,400, to us and the finest known yellow carrier for $105,300 to our friends Bob Wilkins and Suzanne Courcier. Although Will and Karel Henry sold a wide array of art and antiques as auctioneers, their specialized Shaker sales are a legacy in the development of that market. Our community has lost a friend and the extended Shaker “family” one of its old guard.

David A. Schorsch
Woodbury, Conn.

Karel & Willis Henry on the day of their wedding in 1972; they are photographed outside their antiques shop, South River Primitives in Marshfield, Mass. Photo courtesy Tyler Henry.

In the summer of 1982, we packed our bags and loaded them into our pick-up truck, strapped our 18 month old toddler into his car seat between us — rather tight quarters — and started out on a 763-mile road trip from Saginaw, Mich., to Pittsfield, Mass., to attend Will’s first Shaker auction. It was more than worth the trip. Never had we seen so many beautiful Shaker artifacts gathered in one place. We were like kids in a candy store. During the preview we made out our shopping list and anxiously awaited auction day.

On the day of the auction, a tall, slim, handsome man approached the podium. He smiled his broad, engaging smile and started the auction…every eye and ear in the place was on him. As we all know, Will was a master storyteller and each piece had its own history. As novices, we were shocked by the prices which were way out of our reach, but we were able to purchase an early Mt Lebanon chair which we still treasure today. From that day forward, Will Henry had us hooked and we have never missed one of his annual Shaker auctions.

Will wasn’t just an auctioneer, he really got excited about the things he sold and he made it a point to be knowledgeable about them. He also cared about the people who attended his auctions and knew most of them personally. He and his lovely wife, Karel, made a great team and they worked hard to make their Shaker auctions so successful that they attracted major collectors, celebrities and Shaker aficionados from all over the world.

We consider ourselves fortunate to have had him as our friend and are thankful for so many great memories. His passing will be the end of an era for the Shaker realm.

Harlow and Cherie Murray

I knew Will for over two decades; first as an auctioneer and then as a friend. He was always kind and certainly knowledgeable about Shaker furniture, artifacts and history. He helped me to develop a love of Shaker design and aesthetics.

Drew Epstein

Karel and Willis Henry at the preview for their June 22, 2024, sale. Rick Russack photo for Antiques and The Arts Weekly.

The Will Henry I remember was born to be a teacher. I covered his auctions for a number of years-both Shaker and Americana. He knew that I was far from knowledgeable about Shaker material, but he always took the time to explain, “this is great because…” or “take a look at this.” And then he’d take the time to point out often obscure details to help me understand the objects we were talking about. He loved what he was selling. I last saw him a couple of months ago at the time of his last Shaker sale. He, Karel and I had lunch together that day, something we’d talked about doing for a long time. I’m glad we had the opportunity to do that. They were both good friends. He’ll be missed.

Rick Russack

The antiques and auction world has sustained a great loss with the passing of Willis Henry right after his 80th birthday. Will was born in Ohio and attended college there where he met his future wife, Karel. They moved from Ohio to Massachusetts sometime in the early 1970s and one of his first jobs was at the Brattle Street bookstore in Boston. This sparked his interest in old books and documents. Will’s mother was an antique dealer in Ohio, so he began to travel back there to bring primitive antiques to New England to sell. He opened his first antique shop in Marshfield, Mass., in the early 1970s. Shortly thereafter, he started running auctions out of the Marshfield Congregational Church. His business grew rapidly due to his great enthusiasm for older objects and his dynamic personality. As the auction business grew, he moved his sales to the Dedham Holiday Inn. In the early 1980s, he became very interested in Shaker and he started having specialty Shaker auctions. He had a unique approach to this market. He would conduct the sales at actual Shaker communities, including Hancock Shaker Village, New Lebanon, Harvard Shaker Village and Canterbury. These on-site sales revolutionized the Shaker market. Willis Henry Auctions quickly became the premier go-to company for Shaker collections. The specialty auctions were extremely successful and attracted many celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, David Byrne from the group the Talking Heads, Bill Cosby and many others. Will became known as the auctioneer to the stars; he also sold items from the Nat King Cole estate. His interests, however, were not just in Shaker material. He had a passion for all early American objects as well as decoys, Native American and historical documents. He conducted numerous general estate sales in Pembroke and Duxbury. His sales were always interesting and he was known for bringing fresh merchandise to the market. He will also be remembered as being an outstanding father, especially to his disabled son, Caleb. He spent countless hours caring for his son. Will Henry was a true gentleman, a great friend and colleague.

David Glynn and Frank McNamee

Willis Henry photographed in a Canterbury, N.H., Elder’s rocker purchased by Bob Hamilton in 2022. Bob Hamilton photo.

So deeply sorry to learn of Will Henry’s passing; our business has lost a true gentleman and our heart goes out to Karel and his family.

Will’s love and understanding of Shaker life and artifacts will keep the Shaker legacy alive for future generations to learn from and Will Henry’s name will be eternally synonymous with the Shaker story.

Frank Gaglio
Barn Star Productions

It is with great sadness that I received the news of Will Henry’s passing. His auctions were not only an opportunity to bid on objects, but wonderful social gatherings where people in the Shaker field renewed friendships and acquaintanceships and celebrated their common interests and shared devotion to a people and a history. Will was a man of integrity and honesty, a nice sense of humor, warmth and openness towards others. He will be greatly missed.

Darryl Thompson

As a longtime friend just told me, the passing of auctioneer Willis Henry is the end of an era, and she is right. His auctions were not just sales, they were annual reunions. We all came to buy, or at least look, because we saw friends we may not have seen since the previous Will Henry sale. Or we made new “friends” at the sales and even bidding competition did not change that. Recently came a Will Henry internet auction — a sign of the times — but afterword, the phone calls from friends still were coming. Will also brought our attention to the history of the Shakers by telling us about old time collectors and sometimes where and how they the built their Shaker collections. He also showed us the perfection found in the Shaker woodworking and “fancy goods,” tools, basket-making and sewing “smalls” and their dedication to simplicity, craftsmanship and utility. Also, we visited Shaker sites and joined Shaker village/community memberships often after his sales to learn more about the overall history and support the sites. Will and his family and staff will never be forgotten and we all thank them very much for the memories.

Fran and Herb Kramer
Pittsford, N.Y.

Willis Henry with one of his favorite lots in his May 4, 2016, auction, a circa 1880 tin whimsy. Rick Russack photo for Antiques and The Arts Weekly.

I first met Willis Henry in 1982, when he held his very first Shaker auction in Pittsfield, Mass. I was a beginning collector and Willis had recently purchased an entire Shaker collection for this auction. I was immediately impressed by this lanky and friendly auctioneer and his lovely wife, Karel. At this inaugural auction, I purchased a beautiful two door cupboard, from the Hancock Shaker community with original mustard wash. It would be the first of many pieces I would buy from Willis. Willis quickly grew a enviable reputation as a very knowledgeable and trustworthy auctioneer who could be counted on to offer many of the finest Shaker items. For most of the last 40 years, he held a yearly Shaker auction.

Willis Henry Auctions drew collectors and interested people from all over the country and the world. At various times, there were notable celebrities, politicians and collectors bidding on the items Willis offered. In 2022, I purchased a rare five-slat Canterbury, N.H., Elder’s rocker from Willis. He is pictured sitting in it in the attached photo. It was his favorite item in the auction; mine too. Willis will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Bob Hamilton
Lancaster, Penn.

Both myself and my business partner, Karin Phillips, were shocked and saddened to hear of Will’s passing. Will and I both started our auctioneering careers in the 1970s and, as I recall, we were often competitive in the beginning. Our friendship developed over the years as we progressed. He certainly was the Shaker “master” and put together wonderful auctions. Our paths crossed frequently as we were both “on the hunt” for the next great antique item. In the past several years, he and Karel always appeared at our auction exhibitions in Cambridge. We enjoyed our talks and shared experiences. The Shaker world — and antiques world in general — has lost one of its best.

Carl Nordblom
CRN Auctions