Franzine Moore Henderson

Born in Milledgeville, Georgia on May 11, 1945, to Emma Jane Smith and Louis Moore, Franzine spent her early years in Newark, NJ, living with her mother and grandparents, while her father served in the Army. The family later moved to Washington, DC, where Franzine spent her formative years and graduated from McKinley Technical High School in 1963, earning distinction as an honors student and an elected leader in student government.

While at McKinley Tech, she met Harold Richard Henderson. They began dating after graduation and became engaged on Christmas Day in 1964. They were married the following year on New Year’s Eve. Harold and Franzine moved to East Lansing, Michigan, where they both worked and attended Michigan State University. Despite her steadfast commitment to education, Franzine paused her college studies and moved to Massachusetts with her family. She worked full time to help support her husband, who was studying law, and her infant daughter.

In 1976 Franzine and her growing family returned home to the Washington, DC metropolitan area, where she completed her studies while raising three children. She earned her degree in early childhood education from George Mason University in 1985 and went on to teach third-grade at Navy Elementary School in Fairfax County. She was a beloved educator, remembered fondly by a generation of students and families. She retired from teaching in 1993 to focus on her children, and became an avid volunteer in their classrooms and youth sports leagues.

One of her favorite pastimes was tending to the many gardens that she cultivated throughout the years. Franzine grew a variety of fruits and vegetables in abundance, feeding her family, friends, and neighbors in the communities where she lived.

Upon sending their children to college, Franzine and Harold moved to the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Purcellville, Virginia where they owned and managed a working farm. They raised cattle, grew fruits and vegetables, and enjoyed time with their five German Short Haired Pointers. The farm served as a cherished gathering place for friends and family for many years, where Franzine relished hosting intimate dinners, formal events and family reunions with warmth and grace. Her generous spirit and affable demeanor made each event a special occasion.

Harold and Franzine balanced their time on the bucolic farm with extensive travel stateside and abroad. In addition to travel, Franzine enjoyed golf. She belonged to three golf clubs and participated in a ladies league in Loudon County, Virginia, where her competitive spirit and cheerful demeanor lit up every match.

In recent years, Franzine devoted her time and attention to her grandchildren, teaching them to cook, dancing with them gleefully, and diligently attending games, concerts and performances. Always a teacher in spirit, she inquired regularly about their schoolwork and grades, and encouraged them to work hard, be kind, and pursue their dreams.

Franzine is survived by her husband, Harold, Jr., children, Kimberly (Mark), Jessica, and Harold III (Nancy), grandchildren, Ava, Sadie, Jason and Jeffrey, three sisters, a brother, and many cousins, nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents and a brother and sister, Christopher and Karen, who perished at a young age.