In Memory of

HENSON for condolence book resized - Copy (2)

Don Henson

Don joined the Department of Archaeology at the University of York as a PhD student in January 2014, and following the successful completion of his PhD in December 2017, remained with the department to become an Associate Lecturer and then Lecturer in Cultural Heritage Management. As a teacher Don was regarded as hugely inspirational by our students with a contagious passion for his field (and chocolate!). As a colleague Don was considerate and thoughtful, always checking in on his colleagues and offering to help where he could. But more importantly Don was our friend. He taught us to try and see the positive in everything and everyone, and live life to the full. Don will be sorely missed by us all, and everyone that had the pleasure of knowing him.

Owner :Laura Parrett
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John Collis

Like many reaching the end of their careers I look back and wonder what I have achieved, and one of the positives is thinking of the students we taught, however well or badly, who then went out and made their mark in the world.  I knew Don ever since he came to Sheffield as …
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John Collis

Steph Piper

Don, in the few months I knew you after arriving at York in 2019, it felt like you had already been a lifelong friend. It was an absolute pleasure to teach alongside you, and to share an office. We could set our watches by your lunch at noon, and the barometer of a good …
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Emma Laura Parrett

Sarah Bottomley

Don was so many things to me. He was my dissertation supervisor, my mentor and my friend. He inspired me to take up a career in education after teaching me at York, during the wonderful year I was at King’s Manor. His boundless positivity and enthusiasm for life were infectious, and it was impossible …
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Emma Laura Parrett

Vicky Moore

For a few years I lived a couple of streets away from Don, so we would often walk the same route home from King’s Manor. I would regularly see him ahead of me, foraging for blackberries from the brambles that grew along the railway line. Don was a lovely person to work with – …
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Emma Laura Parrett

Jon Bateman

I met Don when I started working at the CBA in 1999. We worked closely together on a number of projects around his work promoting archaeology in education and he was unfailingly enthusiastic and smiling, often in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. But it was how quickly he become more than a colleague …
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Emma Laura Parrett

Heather Barrass

It was a privilege to know and be taught by Don throughout my time at university. His energy and enthusiasm for archaeology was infectious, as was his humour and grin! Don made King’s Manor (and every party) a better place and he will be sorely missed. Thank you for everything you’ve taught me, Don. …
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Emma Laura Parrett

Louise Cooke

I was so lucky to work with Don at the University – he was a lovely, caring colleague and he also cared so much about our students. But Don also had a brilliant routine for his lunch – and no matter what he would have his lunch on time – I remember marking assessed …
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Emma Laura Parrett

Peter Stone

Never have I know one person with the ability to use so many “o’s” in simple, four letter English words like ‘cook’ and (my favourite) ‘book’ which Don might take 30 seconds to finish. So many memories; what a loss. His appitite (for beer, chocolate, food in general, and I always worried if none …
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Emma Laura Parrett

Kevin Walsh

There are so few people who possess the positivity and energy that typified Don. When in a room with Don, whether it was the staff room at lunchtime or the pub on a Friday, it was as if someone had made a warm, glowing fire that drew people towards it. Don was not only an …
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Emma Laura Parrett

Richard Lee

I first met Don in 2003, we were both on an excavation in Upper Wharfedale, run by Roger Martlew, and we were in the pub, you’ll be surprised to hear, the Bluebell Inn at Kettlewell, I’d bought a pint of Old Peculiar and Don hoped that I’d asked for a knife and fork to …
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Emma Laura Parrett

Blaise Catley

Don Henson was one of the best humans I’ve ever had the good fortune of knowing. When I was new at York and struggling to find my feet, he was there to empathise. Everytime I felt my confidence wane he would know when to encourage me. As a lecturer he was so inspiring and …
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Emma Laura Parrett

Julian Richards

Don was one of the “good guys”. Always cheerful, always generous, and with the best interests of archaeology and archaeologists at heart. It was always a pleasure to run into him, usually on trains and planes on the way to EAA, and an even greater pleasure to have him as a colleague in York, …
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Emma Laura Parrett

Jim Leary

I imagine Don now in the great hall of Valhalla. He will have his wooden plate in one hand, loaded with food, and a mug of beer in the other. He will have a circle of people around him as he laughs with old friends and makes new ones. And later he will go …
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Emma Laura Parrett

Gill C

Don, what a dear man you are in my memory: principled, kind, immensely sociable and insatiably curious. I have the sense that you gifted everyone a share of your vitality and appetite for life when you talked – in the classroom, in the staff room, on site, in the pub, and walking, always walking. …
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Emma Laura Parrett

Pippa Smith

I was so sorry to hear of Don’s illness and death. He was so full of life and joy! He encouarged me to move into archaeology outreach and education and I could always call him for ideas and inspiration. You never felt that you were asking too much of Don. I also have great …
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Emma Laura Parrett

Jim Mower

I had the pleasure of meeting Don on several occassions as a result of my work with Channel 4’s Time Team and at Bristol University as part of their media and archaeology courses. He was unfailingly enthusiastic, helpful and friendly. He clearly loved his work, with an infectious enthusiasm that clearly inspired his students. …
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Emma Laura Parrett

Colleen Morgan

The last time I saw Don, he was in Homestead park in the springtime, admiring the cherry blossoms. He was the first person from the department I’d seen since the beginning of the lockdown in 2020 and it was lovely to chat. He said hello to my daughter and we wished each other well.  …
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Emma Laura Parrett

Kirsty R

I first met Don during my masters, I knew him from the Eagle and Child long before he marked one of my essays. 4 years later Don was one of the last people I spoke to at Kings Manor while clearing out my desk in the PhD office before the first lockdown. He told …
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Emma Laura Parrett

Malin Holst

I first knew Don when a cheerful ‘mature’ student entered the department to start his PhD. He always made time to say hello, or ask how I was. It was clear from the first day that Don could relate to everyone, was oblivious to arrogance, hierarchy or social unease and could often be heard laughing …
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Emma Laura Parrett

Simon Kaner

Don’s wonderful enthusiasm for Japan made me feel even luckier to work in that part of the world. It was a great pleasure and privilege to work with him, in particular on our Online Resource in Japanese Archaeology and Cultural Heritage, for which Don scoured the globe (and his global contacts) for ideas and …
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Emma Laura Parrett

Pam White

When I started out in public access archaeology in York I was lucky to meet Don quite early on and found him to be a fountain of knowledge and an inspiration on how to engage with young people about archaeology. I remember one time I went to a heritage education conference in Bristol and …
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Emma Laura Parrett

Tom Wilson

I didn’t know Don well but always loved his company when I saw him at events. He was warm and friendly, and his enthusiasm reminded me why we do this stuff, and the importance of telling others about it. To his family, I am deeply saddened by your loss of a very fine archaeologist, …
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Emma Laura Parrett

Go Sugimoto

I was a Japanese student at Uni of York in 2001. Don was my supervisor when I was doing my placement at Council for British Archaeology. He asked me to create a simple database for eudcational resources for archaeology on the web. The web was starting to explode at that time. I came to …
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Emma Laura Parrett

Gareth Talbot

Don was an all round lovely guy.  …
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Emma Laura Parrett

Ali Bodley

I worked with Don for 5 years at the CBA. He was Education Officer when I was Co-ordinator of YAC. He was very knowledgeable and always very supportive. We planned and ran YAC holidays together and he helped me with the leaders training events. Don was always passionate about his subject, positive and in …
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Emma Laura Parrett

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