In Memory of Will (Butch) Henderson

July 4, 1940-September 3, 2020

We remember Butch Henderson as a good friend and fellow worker at the Baptist Student Union of Georgia Tech around 1960. He went to be with the Lord on September 3. These are some of the remembrances from fellow students at the time.

From T. Boyd (Tex) Moore, September 4:

Probably many of you know that Butch passed away yesterday and went on home where we will see him again. He died peacefully in his sleep from the multiple myeloma he has been suffering from. Here is the obituary:

https://www.hartsellfuneralhomes.com/obituary/Willie-HendersonJr?fbclid=IwAR3gwcnBRGPuiGUuet4BYviWJ0_u55LmsZzieYCecIt2krF_SXDvJrJ5ajw

He and Brenda were living close to their son David in Harrisburg, North Carolina. Both David and Allen Henderson have posted nice memories of Butch on Facebook. I will post what they wrote with photos in a google shared folder soon.

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From Bill Miller, September 4

Thanks much for sending this, Tex. I of course knew Butch during the GaTech BSU days. The last time I saw him was when I was a grad student and made a visit down to New London, CT, to see him. He gave me a great tour of a submarine, even though security restrictions forbade me from seeing a nuclear sub!

I remember Butch as the embodiment of the 'quiet silent type', someone who didn't speak out a lot, but when he did you listened. I'm sure that all of us who did know him are better off for having done so.

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From Leland Strange, September 4 I'll second what Billy Miller said - quiet but you listen when he spoke. I had great conversations with him later at some of our reunions about his business ventures. Just a very solid talented man of God.

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From Duncan Sinclair, September 4 I roomed with Butch in the dorms at GT and, of course, knew him at BSU. I went to his wedding in Fitzgerald soon after he graduated from Tech. I talked to Brenda a few days ago. Butch was very definitely "a very solid talented man of God."

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From Sam Shelton, September 5 Solid is the best word that describes Butch for me, and at their wedding you knew they would be solid good couple. He was a solid success in all that he undertook ending with building a solid company addressing cybered security issues. I am a better person because of the example he always set.

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From Laddie Rollins, September 5 I have been away from Home for the last few days and did not have internet access, therefore didn't receive message about Butch. I sure appreciate all of your comments and would not try to improve. Thanks to you all for being the great influence on my life and for saying what I needed to say about Butch.

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From John Lowe, September 5

Thank you for forwarding the information on Butch. I have appreciated all of your thoughts on Butch, and agree with all of the very positive comments. I remember Butch as one of the hardest working and most focused in our BSU. I remember the tremendous amount of work that he put is as Vespers chair one year. That was a hard job, and he had an excellent slate of speakers. I also remember him as handling the pressures of aeronautical engineering, which I decide must have been the most work-intensive major while we were at Tech. Susie and I got to visit with Butch and Brenda a few times when we were in Aiken and they were in Charleston- a wonderful couple.

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From George Kreider, September 5

As I remember,Butch always seemed to be in a good mood, and it was contagious. I always enjoyed being around him.

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From John Baxley, September 5

Thank you, Tex, for the note about Butch. He will always be Butch to me, not Willie. Maybe we were not the greatest generation, but there were among us some very good people and I was lucky to know all of these in our BSU group. It is inevitable that we will lose these great friends regularly now but in each case we will be thankful we shared life with them.

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Photo from John Siewert, September 5

Butch is leading the singing for the Friday night gathering. In front middle is Rod Nave, and on the second row are Warren Woolf, R.B. Coulter, and John Siewert. From the 1961 Georgia Tech Blueprint.

We had the opportunity of fellowship with Butch and Brenda at some recent gatherings of the Georgia Tech BSU alumni group.

Gathering in Hiawassee in April of 2019.

Gathering in Toccoa in March of 2018.

Gathering in Hiawassee in April of 2010.

And Norman Petty reminded me that we had a photo of Butch way back in 1960 in a document titled "Christian Fellowship at the BSU".

Norman's commentary: "photographs and words taken in the winter of 1960 stand out as explaining the fellowship that was being created and continues so strong today. Butch's smiling face starts the series in the upper left of 'Christian Fellowship at the BSU'."

Another notable experience in 1960 was our gathering at Student Week at Ridgecrest. Our Georgia Tech BSU was well-represented, and it is a blessing that so many of us still have fellowship after 60 years!

Of particular note at this time of remembrance is the togetherness of Brenda and Butch on the second row left. To their right are Ray Shirley, Tex Moore and R.B. Coulter. On the row behind them are Duncan Sinclair (Butch's GT Roommate), Ron Jones and Miguel Fernandez. Sprinkled throughout this gathering are a number of other Tech BSUers, so there are many people from this 60-year-old photo that are remembering Brenda in this time.