He was born February 15, 1924 in Beardstown, IL to Ivan and Letha (Shupe) Henderson. He married Shirley Hangartner , September 14, 1952 in Roanoke, IL. She preceded him in death on February 7, 2008 along with one daughter, Lynn Kay. His parents and his brother Robert also preceded him in death.
Surviving are his 2 sons, Joseph (Barbara) Henderson of Columbia, MO, Dan (Jayla) Henderson of Tulsa, OK and one grandson, Clayton (Katelyn) Henderson, Charlotte, NC.
Tom graduated from Kankakee H.S. in 1943 and immediately joined the U.S. Marine Corp. serving in WWII until 1945. He was attached to a dive bombing squadron in the Pacific as a crew chief and an aft facing tail gunner. He became a Licensed Funeral Director in 1951, becoming a partner/owner from 1955-1990 in the Weaver-Henderson Funeral Home, Urbana, IL. Tom served as the first Civil Defense Director of Champaign County and was the Champaign County Coroner from 1975 – 1984. In his later years he served in the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office providing driver’s education classes across a 10 county area in central Illinois.
Tom was a charter member of the Richard L. Pittman Detachment of the Marine Corp League in Champaign, IL. Throughout his life he was active in veteran’s affairs and maintained memberships in the VFW Post 630 and the American Legion Post 71. He was a member of the Urbana Illinois Masonic Lodge and a 32º Master Mason of the Scottish Rite Temple. Tom was a member of the Illinois Shrine Club of Champaign County and was an active member of the United Methodist Church in Urbana, IL from 1955.
A visitation will be Thursday, May 30, 2019 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm at Remmert Funeral Home in East Peoria, Illinois. A funeral service will be on Friday, May 31, 2019 at 10:30 am with visitation from 10 am until the start of services at the Roanoke United Methodist Church. Burial will follow the service at the Roanoke Township Cemetery.
The family would thank you for memorials made to Shriners Hospitals for Children. Words of comfort can be shared with the family at www.remmertfuneralhome.com.
