Roy John Henderson

Roy John Henderson Beloved father, devoted husband and dear friend, Roy John Henderson, passed peacefully from this life, to be with our Lord in heaven during the early morning hours of May 15, 2008. With his passing, Roy leaves a hole in our hearts that can never be filled. Roy was born February 3, 1945 in McAlester, OK, but he grew up as a Lee County boy, living in Giddings from 1949 until he moved to Austin in 1963 to attend the University of Texas. Roy was baptized at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Serbin, TX on April 22, 1945. He was later confirmed at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Giddings on March 22, 1959. He loved growing up in Giddings, where he nurtured a life-long love of reading, expanding knowledge and deep, confident faith in God. He actually read the entire Bible and encyclopedia over the course of a couple of years when he was in elementary school. It was on these streets and side yards of Giddings where he began his lifelong love of baseball, football and other sports. Roy was also an accomplished tenor and made (or sang in) the all-state choir while in high school. Roy lost his father when he was 4 years old. Being one of five children, he developed a strong work ethic at an early age. Summer jobs included washing dishes, chopping peanuts, and his year-round paper route. One summer, he actually worked all night at the local service station and then threw his paper route at 6:00 a.m. While attending UT, where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree through the Plan II program, he was a night watchman, a tutor and a short-order cook at 2J's Hamburgers. After graduating, Roy bravely served his country as an officer in the United States Marine Corps, achieving the rank of First Lieutenant. In an era, when many young men looked for ways to avoid military service, Roy found a way to serve his country even though he had a deferment for poor vision and scoliosis. Roy was stationed in Vietnam for 1 of his 3 years. During his tour, he acted as both a linguistic liaison and as commander of an artillery base in the demilitarized zone. Upon his return to Austin, Roy was accepted into UT's School of Law, where he received his Doctorate of Jurisprudence in 1973. He operated a successful law practice in Austin for over 30 years. These accomplishments, however great, are not the things for which he would want to be remembered. His greatest achievement - that in which he took the most pride - was his creation of an adoring, close-knit family - a joy which he shared with his loving wife Regina until the day he died. Our "Pops," our "Daddy-O," was born to be a family man and in this endeavor, more so than any other, he was wildly successful. His vision, his patience, his deep and endless love, not to mention the memory of his great, bellowing, earth-shaking laugh, are the things that will endure. We will miss him with all our hearts. Roy was preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Theresa Blasig Henderson. He leaves behind his best friend and love of his life, Regina, and their children, Tamara Anne and her partner Rachel Bailey, Robert Ira and John Reed Henderson; brother Donald Henderson and wife Cynthia; sisters Ruthie Boethel and husband Carey, Iris Bohr and Hazel Anliker; best mother-in-law, Anne Reed, numerous nieces and nephews, all of whom he cherished. Visitation will be at Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral home on Sunday, May 18, 2008, from 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. Funeral services are 1:00 p.m., Monday, May 19, 2008, at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 3501 Red River, Austin, TX 78705. Interment will follow at Austin Memorial Park. Pall bearers include his dear friends, Clifford Bell, John Jeffers, John Broussard, Robert Buckingham, Bobby Jones and Tommy Randall. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to St. Paul Lutheran Church or Hospice Austin, 4107 Spicewood Springs Road, Suite 100, Austin, TX 78759. Obituary and guestbook online at wcfish.com