Jeff W. Henderson

June 13, 2009 07:55 pm

— Jeff W. Henderson of San Marcos, beloved husband, father and grandfather passed away in Austin on June 11, 2009, at the age of 67. He was born Jan. 12, 1942, in Texon, to Curtis Weldon and Nettie Irene (Delz) Henderson.
He graduated from Crane High in 1960 and attended Odessa Junior College before transferring to Sul Ross State University where he received his Bachelor's degree in 1965 and his Masters in 1967. He worked his way through college at various summer newspaper jobs across the state, and continued this practice after graduation, starting his teaching career to keep abreast of the “real world.” In the mid 1970s he wrote a weekly syndicated travel column carried by 12 newspapers and he also wrote a weekly humor column for the San Marcos Daily Record. Jeff taught journalism and photography, and served as director of student publications for 37 years on the college/university level, spending the last 29 years at Southwest Texas State in San Marcos. While at SWT, he was the executive director of the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association for 21 years. Honors include Distinguished Alumnus of Sul Ross State University, the Hall of Fame of the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association, the Fred W. Adams University Star Hall of Fame at Texas State University-San Marcos (SWT), and Professor Emeritus of Journalism and Mass Communications at Texas State.
Jeff was very proud of his first western fiction novel which was published in 2008. He was an extra in the film “Courage under Fire” and other films. He enjoyed traveling, taking family and students all over the United States and to other countries. He loved life and wanted to see as much of the world as he could, but his main joy, his “calling” was teaching. Jeff will be dearly missed by all.
His parents preceded him in death. He is survived by his devoted wife of 44 years, Sharon Henderson; daughters Laura H. Humphries and husband Mark of San Antonio, and Tiffany Henderson of Dallas; brother Donnie Henderson of Odessa; and two grandchildren, Hank and Liv Humphries.
Celebration of Life Services will be conducted at 1 p.m. Wednesday, June 17, at the First Christian Church in San Marcos, with Dr. Jimmy Cobb officiating.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association, P.O. Box 15186, Austin, TX 78761-5186 or Texas Intercollegiate Press Association Jeff Henderson Scholarship for Journalism Excellence, TIPA Central Office: Fred Stewart, Executive Director c/o Texas A&M-Commerce, Box 4104, 2600 S. Neal, Commerce, TX 75429, (903) 886-5231, Fax: (903) 468-3128, www.texasipa.org.
Arrangements under the care and guidance of Pennington Funeral Home, 323 N. Comanche, San Marcos, TX 78666, 353-4311. Visit our Web site at www.penningtonfuneralhome.com.

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