Henry Ledesma

Henry (Enrique) Mesa Ledesma, born on March 17, 1946 in Toppenish, WA to Rosa Mesa Ledesma and Juan Pedro Ledesma passed away peacefully at Kadlec hospital in Richland, Washington on Friday, July 27, 2018. He had been battling cancer for several years. 

Henry, is survived by his partner Rosalie Betts of Sunnyside; his children: Gina Tyhuis (Bob), Angela Ledesma, and Melissa Heen; Idolina Reta of Seattle and their children: Andromeda Miles, Enriquez Ledesma, Andrea Ledesma, and Esteban Ledesma. 
He is also survived by his siblings Chuck (Kathy) Ledesma and Manuel Ledesma both of Dayton, Washington; Frank Ledesma of Bethany, Oklahoma; Rachel Carrera (Ruben) of Sunnyside; Dolores Ledesma of Seattle; John Ledesma (Sandra) of Aberdeen; Ramon Ledesma (Kendra) of Sedro Woolley; Linda Sprague (Gary) Woodland; Mario Ledesma (Cheryl) of Richland; Arthur Ledesma (Nancy) of Silverton, Oregon; and Alberto and Mario of Sunnyside; as well as numerous grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

He was a basketball all-star in high school and was frequently the top scorer in B division in Washington. After graduating from Glenwood High School, he joined the Air Force as a military police officer, and was honorably discharged as a Vietnam veteran. He owned his own auto repair shop, his own print shop business, and drove 18 wheelers before retiring. He loved folk music, reading the classics, photography, writing poetry, and traveling to Mexico to visit family. He was an activist for social justice both in college and after and was even a body guard for Cesar Chavez during farmworkers rallies in Seattle. Rosalie rode motorcycles and hiked beside him in his later years. He always said the outdoors made him feel alive. Nothing was more important to Henry than his family. He had an enormous sense of humor, was kind, sensitive, passionate and generous of heart. He is dearly loved by his family and friends, and will be greatly missed. 
 Henry is preceded in death by his parents, his older sister Mary Medrano, brother Albino, sisters Marta and Rufina, his nephew Michael Ledesma, and his niece Leighann Parker-Ledesma. 
There will be a visitation from 4-8pm, with a rosary starting at 7pm on Friday, August 3 at Valley Hill Funeral Home, 531 South 16th Street in Sunnyside. The Mass of Christian burial will held on Saturday, August 4th at Saint Joseph Catholic Church, 907 South 6th Street, Sunnyside, at 10am, followed by a graveside service at Outlook Cemetery, with a reception back at Valley Hills Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers please donate to the Columbia Basin Cancer Foundation, 1031 W Broadway Ave, Moses Lake, WA 98837. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Henry Ledesma, please visit our flower store.