Carletta Hyde Hensley
Carletta Hensley of Wake Forest, North Carolina, a mother, sister, Christian, and beloved friend, passed away peacefully at her home on October 6, 2026.
Carletta grew up near Bryson City with her parents. She grew up in a very humble home in the country, spending most of her early life without even indoor plumbing. She attended Swain County Elementary School, where she won a school contest by raising the most money by selling cupcakes and cookies. She was crowned “Queen” in front of the whole school, and wore a beautiful red dress her mother had bought for the occasion.
In the summer of 1961, the family moved to Oak Hill Road in Candler. Carletta attended Oak Hill Methodist Church and loved going to Sunday school every Sunday. She graduated from Enka High School in 1969 and later studied at A-B Tech. She was popular in school, had many friends, and loved socializing with them all.
Carletta lived in Asheville until 1991. She raised both of her children in Asheville for most of their childhood and teen years. She worked at the NC Farmers Market for a period of time, and was part-owner of Joyful Creations flower shop off of Merrimon Avenue for a few years. In 91 she moved to Raleigh with her family, eventually settling in Wake Forest, North Carolina, where she spent the rest of her life. She worked for the State of North Carolina as an administrator in the Pest Management department. She had quite a green-thumb, and was known to have incredible plants and flowers outside, spending endless hours planting and caring for them.
Carletta had two children, Melanie and Jeff, who later blessed her with 6 grandchildren, and she loved her children and grandchildren deeply. She would give everything she had for them and found incredible joy in her relationship with her grandchildren later in her life. She was a phenomenal grandmother, known as DeeDee to Melanie's kids, and Wadee to Jeff’s kids.
As Carletta grew, so did her love for Jesus. Carletta was a godly woman who loved Jesus immensely, and anyone who crossed her paths knew it. If they didn’t, she would tell them. She was constantly active in the church, first at Merrimon Avenue Baptist in Asheville and later at Providence Baptist in Raleigh. Her kids would say, “If the doors on the church are open, she’s probably walking thru them.” She created many murals and paintings for the churches, regularly arranged flowers in the sanctuary and for special events, led neighborhood Bible studies for children, and facilitated several women’s Bible studies, cherishing the friendships that grew from them. She also participated in mission trips to Morocco and Mexico. Her love for Jesus was strong, and she desperately hoped for all of her friends and family to follow Him and to be with her in Heaven.
Carletta is survived by her son, Jeff Hensley (born 1972); her daughter, Melanie Hensley (born 1975); her daughter-in-law, Bronwyn Hensley; her six grandchildren—Gregory, Liam, Keeton, Hannah, Alli, and Bentley; and her two sisters, Christina Barnett and Cathy Bryant, whom she loved dearly and remained close with. She had many other friends and family members, and while not all listed here by name, they meant the world to her. She loved them all.
Hr life was marked by faith, creativity, friendship, and devoted love for her family.
We did not lose her. We know exactly where she is. And she’s never been better.
A “Celebration of Life” service will be held on Thursday, October 22nd at 1pm at Providence Baptist Church in Raleigh, officiated by Pastor Brian Frost.
In lieu of flowers, Carletta would be honored if you would consider donating to one of two causes that were important to her:
Providence Baptist Church at www.pray.org/give : Not only is this her home church, but they have been strong supporters of the rebuild efforts in Western NC after Hurricane Helene.
Samaritans Purse: Disaster relief with an emphasis on bringing the hope of Jesus to seemingly hopeless situations.