Eugene Lee Henderson

Early in the morning of Saturday, September 19th, 2015, Eugene went home to be with the Lord after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. He was 85 years old. Eugene was born on November 8th, 1929 to Weldon and Olga Henderson in Jefferson Township, St. Louis County, Missouri. He was the oldest of five children. Growing up on various farms in Missouri and Illinois, Eugene has always had a keen interest in agriculture and other outdoor activities like camping, hunting and sailing. After graduating from Highland High School in Illinois in 1948, Eugene was drafted into the United States Army. He served from 1951-1953 as a cryptographic technician using the then-cutting-edge Teletype machine. While he was stationed at Camp San Luis Obispo, Eugene stopped for a coffee at The Creamery in Morro Bay where he met the love of his life, Shirley Lou Johnson. Together, Eugene and Shirley raised five children. Family was Eugene’s greatest pleasure in life, and he is described by his family members as being ever-present in their lives. He encouraged them in all their endeavors. Whether it was a sporting event, 4-H project, or serving as Scout Master, Eugene was there. Eugene’s grandchildren recall how resourceful he was. He would make whistles out of acorn caps, bolo ties out of ham bones, and he would flatten the ends of nails so the kids could scoop walnuts out of their shells. Eugene was known for being very skilled in everything he did and was always a wealth of knowledge. You name a subject, he could tell you all about it. Eugene had an unmatched desire for life and he never stopped wanting to learn. After serving in the military, Eugene worked as a surveyor for the California Division of Highways (later Caltrans) for nearly 40 years. He contributed to the building of Highway 101, which did not yet exist when he started his career, as well as worked on all the highways on the Central Coast from Santa Barbara to Santa Cruz. Eugene is survived by Shirley Lou Henderson, his wife of 62 years and eight months; his five children: Frances (Lyndon) Denlinger, Janet Mueller, Robert (Jennifer) Henderson, Denise Henderson, and Craig (Vangie) Henderson, as well as 18 grandchildren and 9 (almost 10) great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his siblings Dale Henderson, Elvera Nungesser, Evelyn Malan, and Clyde Henderson all of Illinois. He was preceded in death by his father and mother, and two infant children: Gail Diane Henderson (1959) and Kevin John Henderson (1965). A service will be held this Saturday, September 26th at the Atascadero Gospel Chapel at 11am. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Central Coast Parkinson Support Group and will go to Parkinson’s research.