Donnie Henderson
Donald A. “Donnie” Henderson Jr.
“Donnie” Henderson, age 62, of Oak Ridge died Friday, September 12, 2014, at Methodist Medical Center.
He was born March 9, 1952, at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma. Donnie died of complications of pneumonia.
Donnie is survived by his mother Mary Henderson, and sisters Joy Henderson and Emily Newell, both of Oak Ridge; brother Alan Henderson (and wife Kathy Henderson) of Knoxville; niece Mary Jackie Newell; great-niece Neha Newell of Easley, South Carolina; and nephew Jonathan Lesher, of Cumberland, Maryland. The extended family include Aunt Shirley Henderson Langley and family of Oxford, Alabama, Jerry Hall of Gadsden, Alabama, and aunt Martha Hall Turner of Atlanta, Georgia.
He was preceded in death by his father, Donald A. Henderson Sr., who passed away in July 2002, as well as his grandparents Emily and Porter Henderson, and Edweina and Hugh Hall of Alabama.
Donnie was under the umbrella of Emory Valley Center since he arrived in Oak Ridge in 1970. He attended the day programs, the summer program, and worked in the sheltered workshop. Since 1975, he had been a resident with Emory Valley Center homes in different locations. After 1995, he resided at the Tiffin House of Oak Ridge. Donnie traveled with his family while his father was in the United States Air Force and lived in eight states and Guam. He traveled to 48 states, Japan, Canada, and Mexico.
Donnie’s hobbies included working puzzles, coloring, and going to the aqua therapy at the Clinton Physical Therapy. He loved going out in the community, attending Dollywood, Parrot Mountain, The Aquarium in Gatlinburg, the Knoxville Zoo, and especially riding trains. In 1985, he participated in the Special Olympics, winning several ribbons.
He enjoyed all his housemates at Tiffin. The family thanks the wonderful caregivers there, which are too numerous to mention. The family thanks all of the staff at Emory Valley Center for the years of dedicated service to Donnie and the wonderful staff at Methodist Medical Center.
The funeral will be at 1:30 p.m. Monday, September 15, at Kern Methodist Church at 451 East Tennessee Avenue in Oak Ridge. Burial will follow at the Oak Ridge Memorial Park.
The family requests that any memorials be in the form of donations to the Emory Valley Center Building Fund, 715 Emory Valley Road, or Kern Methodist Church, 451 E Tennessee Ave. Oak Ridge, TN.
The family will receive friends at Kern Methodist Church from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Monday, September 15.
An online guest book may be signed at weatherfordmortuary.com.
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