Posted Wednesday, Jan. 04, 2012
The Back Story: J.J. and Lee Henry
THE BACK STORY
J.J. and Lee Henry are a match made in Fort Worth. J.J., beginning his 11th season on the PGA Tour this month, and wife Lee are TCU graduates who met in a laundromat during college. J.J. came to TCU from Connecticut to play golf and study marketing, Lee from Houston to major in psychology. They have established deep roots in Fort Worth.
THE MEETING
"She claims I was hitting on her roommate at the time," J.J. says with a laugh, "but they were doing laundry, and I was making small talk." A short time later, Lee and friends walked into an apartment to meet up with a group attending a concert. She did not know it was the tall guy from the apartment laundry room. Then Lee spotted J.J. "I turned around," she recalls, "and said: 'That's him! That's who I've been looking for the past couple of weeks!'" That was in 1996, and now they're doing all their laundry together -- they celebrated their 10th anniversary in August.
MAKING FORT WORTH HOME
They both enjoyed TCU so much that they made Fort Worth their home when J.J. began golfing professionally. "I love the people here," J.J. says. "It's a real laid-back atmosphere. It's just a fun place to live." Fort Worth's location makes it easier for him to get home from tour stops to spend as much time as possible with sons Connor, 7, and Carson, 3. And living here allows him opportunities to cheer on his beloved Horned Frogs.
GIVING BACK
J.J. won his first PGA Tour event and played on the U.S. Ryder Cup team in 2006. That same year, they established the Henry House Foundation, which works with projects that provide tangible healthcare and well-being benefits for children. The foundation's marquee event is the White Hot Night Gala each fall, which is accompanied by a fundraising golf tournament. Gala participants dress in all white, an idea Lee took from a friend's all-white wedding. Says Lee: "I'll have people in June saying, 'Oh, I'm so excited. I just found my white dress for White Hot Night.' It's fun. I just wanted something kind of different and unique." J.J. says the foundation is his family's way of paying back Fort Worth for embracing them. "I love Fort Worth and TCU," he says. "I don't plan on moving anytime soon."
J.J. and Lee Henry
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