Jay Hensley, 87, began working for Gas America 43 years ago, and for the past 20 years, he has been at the Noblesville store at 2290 Greenfield Ave. Hensley retired April 27, but he hasn’t brewed his last pot of fresh coffee quite yet.
“I’ll come and go as I want to,” he said. “I’ll still be making coffee.”
Patty, the love of Hensley’s life for the past 30 years, doesn’t think his schedule will change much now that he’s retired. “He’ll probably be here (at the store) more than he was before – he just won’t be paid,” she said.
In the late 1960s, Gas America built its first station in Noblesville, across the street from a Hoosier Pete convenience store. Despite Gas America’s cheaper gas prices, customers stayed with the Hoosier Pete store. Gas America’s owners investigated and found out why – Hensley, who was a clerk at Hoosier Pete at the time, seemed to know everyone in town. Gas America hired Hensley away, and the customers came with him.
Since then, Hensley has worked seven days a week, 365 days a year.
“They want me to take days off, and I don’t do that,” he said.
Making Hensley’s work ethic more impressive is that he works the third shift or early morning hours.
“It’s a hard living working third,” Hensley said.
Up until a couple years ago, Hensley used to walk three miles to work from his house on River Road – no matter the weather conditions.
“He’s definitely dedicated to his job. Everybody loves him,” said Gas America Manager Julie Bowmer. “Anytime he wants to come up here all he has to do is call me and I’ll pick him up.”
Hensley said he has continued to work until this point because of the customers.
“I love talking and I love the people. Without the people you can’t run the station,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed every hour I worked.”
Robert McGuire has known Hensley since the ’60s when he owned his first vehicle and could put gas and grocery items on a tab.
“He’s been a great guy,” said McGuire. “It’ll be different because every time I walk in here he’s here. It’ll be a sad time to walk in and him not be here.”
Like McGuire, Michelle Hurdle will miss seeing Hensley during her morning stops.
“Every morning before work, I go to Gas America for my morning coffee. Jay is responsible for the coffee duties many mornings, and many of us customers love the mornings that he is in charge,” she said. “He always greets everyone with a genuine smile and an upbeat, ‘good morning!’ I think he starts a lot of Noblesville residents’ days off cheerfully.”