Wilmer Ernest Henderson

Will Henderson was born on September 9, 1924 in Grand Forks, North Dakota to Wilmer Henderson Sr. and Hazel (Nelson) Henderson. He had one older sister, Jean (Musser). When he was a toddler, the family moved to Tacoma, and when Will was eight, they moved to the home in Parkland where he spent the rest of his life. He attended Parkland School, Holy Rosary School, and Lincoln High. A restless 15-year old, he went to work in the logging camps and then returned home to work in the Tacoma shipyards. World War II came and teenage Will was drafted into the Army. (He liked to tell people that he “toured Europe with a walking society.”) He trained in Liverpool, was part of the D-Day invasion (Omaha Beach), and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. After the war, he returned to Parkland and married Betty Junge, with whom he had corresponded all during the war. They were married 66 years. Will had many talents and worked in many ways over his long life. He had a shoe repair business and worked as a draftsman for a company that built sawmills on the West Coast. (He always printed in that beautiful draftsman style.) He drove cab around Tacoma. But the majority of his working life he spent as a teamster driving trucks — bread delivery, oxygen tanks, liquid nitrogen tankers, and local freight and delivery. He knew Tacoma like the back of his hand, and could tell you how to get anywhere. He would also tell you what landmark or business used to be on any given spot in town. He loved history and research, and this prompted him to research and document his experience in WWII. (See http://www.will-henderson.com/) Will was a craftsman and rebuilt the house he grew up in to accommodate the Henderson clan. Will and Betty raised three kids there: Bonnie, Debra, and Bill (also Wilmer). The kids grew up playing among the big fir trees on their acre-sized yard. Will and Betty always supported their kid’s (and grandkids) interests and talents, and were welcoming to their sometimes unconventional friends (hippies and punk rockers). When the girls were teenagers, Dad got the nickname “The Powerhouse” during a rousing game of badminton and the name stuck (as did Mom’s nickname, “The Babe”). Will was liberal minded and believed in justice, sticking up for yourself, looking out for the little guy, and doing the right thing. He argued against sending young men to unnecessary wars. He was active teamster, and he fought corruption in his local union. He taught his kids to be accepting of all kinds of people, to respect the rights of others, and to know that they should not see themselves as better than anybody else. He was a friendly, likeable guy, and wherever he went he would meet people he knew. When Will retired he continued to keep active, working in his big yard or out in the garage he built, taking car trips with Betty, talking politics with his buddies at Rollie’s, and reading history and keeping up with the news (so he could win the arguments at Rollie’s). He kept his commercial drivers license long after retirement (in fact, until the end of his life) which enabled him to volunteer to drive a WWI German cannon around the state on an educational tour. Will and Betty have two grandsons, Isaac and Sam (sons of Deb and her husband Tim) who have always lived nearby, so they were able to enjoy watching them grow into young men. Will even consented to star in one of Isaac’s short films, a parody of Alone in the Wilderness, which won Audience Choice at Tacoma Grand Cinema’s 72-hour film contest. www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7oW9YwLYlY Will fought cancer this last year, but never complained and always was grateful for the help he needed as the disease progressed. He was able to stay in his home to the very end, the home he grew up in, rebuilt, and raised his family in. For that, we are grateful. He passed away on February 13, 2013. He will be greatly missed by his family and many friends. Tap ’er light, Tiger.