William Hensch

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - William J. Hensch, 90, of Dongan Hills, a retired NYPD officer and bank loan officer, died Thursday in Staten Island University Hospital, Ocean Breeze.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he moved to Dongan Hills in 1989.

Mr. Hensch served in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II as a radio operator. He was on a mission aboard a B-24H Liberator bomber over Austria when the airplane was shot down on June 16, 1944, and he was taken prisoner by the Germans. He was held in Stalag Luft IV in Poland until being rescued in May 1945.

He had a 20-year career as an officer with the city Police Department. After retiring from that position, he became a loan officer for Chemical Bank, now JP Morgan Chase. He retired in 1984.

Mr. Hensch loved all sports, particularly football, and spent Sunday evenings with his family rooting for the New York Jets. He also loved going to the beach.

"He was a loving husband and cherished father, and his grandchildren meant the absolute world to him," said his daughter-in-law, Carol Hensch.

Mr. Hensch was a parishioner of St. Christopher's R.C. Church, Grant City.

Surviving are his wife of 60 years, the former Laura Lloyd; his sons, William and Thomas, and four grandchildren.

The funeral will be tomorrow from the Bedell-Pizzo Funeral Home, with a mass at 10 a.m. in Our Lady Help of Christians R.C. Church, both Tottenville. Burial will follow in Resurrection Cemetery, Pleasant Plains.

Services: Our Lady Help of Christian's RC Church Monday, April 4,2011-10:00AM

Visitation: Bedell-Pizzo Funeral Home Sunday, April 3,2011 2-4 & 7-9PM

Cemetery: Resurrection Cemetery (Staten Island)

Location: Bedell-Pizzo Funeral Home

Church: Our Lady Help of Christians R.C.Church