Lesley J. Henderson

Mrs. Henderson was born in Wyandotte, Michigan on January 2, 1952, daughter of the late Robert C. Johnstone and the late Joan A. Johnstone. Mrs. Henderson had spent the majority of her adult life in Rome and Floyd County and at the time of her death was an assistant professor of nursing at Georgia Highlands College.

Mrs. Henderson was a member of the second graduating nursing class of Floyd College (now Georgia Highlands) and worked as an operating room nurse at Redmond Regional Medical Center and Floyd Medical Center. She then returned to school and earned her B.S.N. form the University of West Georgia and her M.S.N. from Georgia State University. For the last ten years she taught on the faculty of Georgia Highlands College or the University of West Georgia.

Mrs. Henderson was the first president of the Georgia Highlands Alumni Association and served on many fund raising projects for the school and its Foundation. She also made many presentations throughout the country to nursing organizations and authored various award winning articles in professional journals.

Survivors include her husband, Edward M. Henderson of Rome, to whom she was married on December 27, 1973; three sons, Mr. Eric Henderson and his wife Courtney of Covington, Ga., Mr. Blake Henderson of Rome, and Mr. Mark Henderson of Atlanta; two granddaughters, Miss Ryan Henderson of Covington and Miss Morgan Henderson of Rome. Also surviving are her sister and brother, Ms. Laura A. Adams and Mr. Robert C. Johnstone II, both of Rome. Several nieces and nephews also survive.

A memorial service will be held at the Griffin Memorial Chapel of Daniel’s Funeral Home, Rome, on Friday, February 25, 2011, at 2 p.m. with the Reverend Horace Stewart officiating.

The nursing faculty and staff of Georgia Highlands College and the University of West Georgia will serve as honorary escorts.

The family will receive friends at Daniel’s Funeral Home on Thursday, February 24, 2011 from 6 until 8 p.m. At other times they will be at the residence.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Georgia Highlands College Foundation for the Lesley J. Henderson Nursing Scholarship c/o Georgia Highlands College, 3175 Cedartown Highway S., Rome, Ga. 30161 or to Heyman HospiceCare at Floyd, P. O. Box 163, Rome, GA 30162-0163.