Debra Ann Henderson

Debra Ann Bowles Henderson passed away on October 24th, 2019 at 4:07am. Leading up to her death, she was surrounded by loving family and friends. Her spouse, Matthew, was present at the time of her passing. The medical care was excellent and the staff that cared for her were kind, caring, and professional. She is survived by her husband, Matthew Henderson, daughter, Amara Henderson, son, Nicholas Henderson, and sister, Martha Bowles.

Debra was born at Wright Patterson Air Force Base on August 17th, 1954. Her father, Lamar Bowles, was in the early years of his career in the USAF. Her mother, Ann Bowles was in the early years of motherhood, and was dealing with the significant responsibilities associated with being an Airman’s spouse. After Debra’s dad became an Air Force officer and was launched on his trajectory into the expanding universe of aerospace, (think Sputnik, President Kennedy, the space race, space Chimpanzees—Debra met some of them as a small child, Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, the moon landing, and the Space Shuttle,) the family moved to Satellite Beach, Florida. It is here that Debra began her life-long love affair with the beach and ocean. It was also during this time, that Debra’s kindness, care and concern for others became evident. Debra’s mother would tell the story of a young Debra making a point of spending time and playing with a younger neighbor girl with a developmental delay. Next step along the path was a move to California, where the family remained through Debra’s junior year of high school. Debra being the kind, personable, intelligent person that she was, made good friends and close connections. She excelled in school and enjoyed her time in the California surf and sun. She enjoyed spending time with her friends at the beach and occasionally even went surfing. She went to an enviable number of rock concerts and saw many of the most notable groups of the era. All the while, Debra developed and maintained a healthy sense of her own values and pursued life in an adventurous, but yet, dignified manner.

Duty called, and the family moved to Clear Lake, just south of Houston, Texas. Her father, who eventually advanced to the rank of Colonel, had big things ahead of him to accomplish. Debra, admitted, that at the time, she was not happy with the move. She remembered singing with disdain, the Glen Campbell song, “Galveston” during the long car journey. However, once in Texas, Debra accepted and overcame. In the Timber Cove neighborhood where the family resided, the life and responsibilities of her father placed her in frequent contact with well-known astronauts and their families, along with other luminaries of the space program. Debra embraced her senior year at Clear Creek High School and made new friends, while always keeping contact with and maintaining the friendships that she had made in the past. Debra was throughout her life, a very loyal and devoted friend and would do more than her part to reach out to others. Upon graduating from high school, Debra went on to college and ultimately graduated from the University of Texas with a major in art. Her interest was in metal-smithing and jewelry making.

Debra, newly married to her first spouse, embarked on her post-bachelor’s degree life. She worked for a while selling commercial real estate and also worked at a company teaching English as a second language to high level executives. Along the way, Debra lived for some months in Buenos Aires, Argentina and developed and maintained a respectable fluency with the Spanish language throughout her life. Debra travelled, on a number of occasions to various locations in Mexico and had an appreciation for Mexican art and culture. Debra worked with her first spouse to restore a couple of houses in the historic Heights district in Houston and was instrumental in starting a hospice for AIDS victims. Debra was always firmly rooted in her Christian faith, and at that time, was integrally involved in the Episcopal Church community. As time passed, Debra decided that her values fit more closely with teaching and social work. Debra obtained a teaching certification and also a master’s degree in social work. It is around this time, that Debra’s first marriage ended, and she met her second husband, Matthew, who was also a social worker. Debra and Matthew remained together for over 25 years, until her death.

Debra and Matthew moved from Houston, where they met, and lived for a few years in Knoxville, TN, then for several years, in St. Louis, MO and finally, for the past 18 years in San Antonio, TX. It was important to Debra to be near family. Debra, always strong in her convictions, decided on home births for each of her children. She spent several years teaching young children in public school and eventually, home-schooled her own children, Amara and Nick, until they began elementary school. Debra eventually became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, (LCSW) and ran a busy private practice for several years. Many of her clients were military service members and their families. During her time in San Antonio, Debra’s spiritual connections remained active—most notably with St. Pius church, and Oak Hills church. Debra enjoyed cooking and fine cuisine. She enjoyed music and the arts. For several years, Debra closely promoted women’s beauty products and natural health products. She had a close connection with the Harp and Shamrock Society in San Antonio, a group promoting a better understanding of Irish culture, heritage and community service.

Until her last breath, Debra fully embraced life and focused on living out her values, weaving a close connection with family, friends, and the community. Though she experienced increasing pain and discomfort over the past couple of years of her life, she did what she could to live each day to its fullest. Debra will be greatly missed. Her lifelong commitment to her primary values of life and relationships will continue to serve as a positive example to us all.