Willie Henderson, Jr.

Willie B. (Will) Henderson, Jr, 80, was born in Fitzgerald, Georgia July 4, 1940 to Willie B. and Florence Ethelene Henderson.  He departed this life on September 3, 2020 in Harrisburg, North Carolina.  The youngest of eight children, he was heavily influenced by his grandfather John who was a constant companion and lived with the family.  He attended school in Fitzgerald, Georgia and was president of the 1958 class of Fitzgerald High School.  He was awarded a Navy ROTC scholarship to attend Georgia Institute of Technology graduating in 1962 with a degree in aeronautical engineering.  In the same year, he endured the rigorous interview process including the infamous live interview with Admiral Rickover for entrance into the nuclear power school, was commissioned as an officer in the Navy, and most importantly married his high school sweetheart, Brenda Clark.  As a submariner he served as an officer on the USS Sam Rayburn and the USS James Monroe rising to the rank of Lieutenant Commander as his young family moved up and down the east coast and to Hawai’i.  In 1970 he resigned his commission to pursue graduate study at Purdue University where he earned his MBA and PhD, and in 1974 moved to Knoxville, TN where he was assistant professor at the University of Tennessee.  He transitioned to numerous positions in the business community in East Tennessee, most notably as VP of Finance at Morrison Printing in Morristown, TN and CEO of US Internet, Tennessee’s first internet service provider.  Most recently he was CEO and co-owner of Sword and Shield Enterprise Security, a network security firm from which he retired in 2019.

Faith and family were cornerstones of his life and his decision to give up a promising naval career chiefly centered on ensuring he was a constant presence in the lives of his family.  He was a member and deacon at Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Knoxville for over 46 years before recently moving to Harrisburg, NC to be near family.  The Hendersons’ gift of hospitality was shared widely and they generously shared their wisdom with young couples and families, creating a huge extended family of those who learned from them.  For 25 years they also spent a week each summer planning and executing Cousins Camp when their oldest grandchild turned four which eventually welcomed twenty grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents and all of his siblings.  He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Brenda Henderson; children Allen (Ann) Henderson of Statesboro, GA, Lee (Joe) Oesterling of Atlanta, GA, Leslie (Steve) Curda of Chicago, IL; and David (Mendy) Henderson of Harrisburg, NC; twenty remarkable grandchildren; three foster great grandchildren; sister-in-law Kay (Bob) Stewart of Cordele, GA; and numerous nieces and nephews.

A celebration of life will be held at 2 PM Saturday, September 5, 2020 at Mt. Olive Baptist Church on Maryville Pike in Knoxville, TN, officiated by Rev. Kirby Ownby, with mandatory mask requirement and social distancing.  A funeral service with military honors will be held at 3 PM Sunday, September 6, 2020 at Venture Church on Main St. in Harrisburg, NC, officiated by Rev. Kirby Ownby, with mandatory mask requirement and social distancing.  Burial will follow at 10 AM Tuesday, September 8, 2020 at Salisbury National Veterans Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Mt. Olive Baptist Church or to the Venture Church Build Hope Fund.