Michael Aaron Henderson

Our father, Michael Aaron Henderson, passed away on November 12, 2023 at the age of 65. He is survived by his daughters Andrea “Andi” Britton and Erin Townes, their spouses Jeff and Brandon, granddaughters Megan Britton, Hannah Britton, Payton Townes and Michelle Townes; brothers Toby and David Henderson and their families; sister Monica Henderson; his stepmother; the mother of his daughters; extended family and friends including Ashton and Michael; his dogs; and his dear mother, Suzy, who he loved deeply.

He is preceded in death by his father, Charles “Buddy” Henderson, as well as his maternal and paternal grandparents.

Mike was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on December 30, 1957. Although he was the middle child, we understand he was definitely the tallest of the bunch. His family relocated to Texas in the 1960s and Mike graduated from Galena Park High School in 1975. He met and later married Beverly Ann Atkinson in 1979, and settled on the east side of Houston. Together, they had two daughters (Andi and Erin) and eventually moved to Kingwood. Mike worked a variety of jobs to support his family including building fences for Foster Fence, and was later blessed to be hired by the United States Postal Service in 1984. He retired from USPS in December 2019. After retirement he enjoyed many fishing trips, visits with his grandchildren, time with extended family, and even attended an Astros ALCS game and a 2022 World Series game! However, Mike’s health began to deteriorate in January 2023 due to what we would soon discover was Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

He was treated at MD Anderson through a clinical trial and he achieved remission, and then started the process to pursue a stem cell transplant (the 2nd in his life). He was admitted to the hospital on August 2 and received his new stem cells on August 8. The transplant was a success (thank you to his unknown donor). Unfortunately, he had a number of very serious complications during his hospitalization, and after 103 days as an inpatient, Michael passed away.

We are so thankful for the care he received during his time at MDA. They have treated our dad for 20+ years for multiple, different cancer diagnoses. Thank you to Dr. Maiti, Dr. Khouri, Agnes, Nadya, all of the nurses and staff on Floor 17, the PT and OT rehab teams (specifically Alice), and all of the ICU team members.

Mike would have also wanted to honor his older brother, Toby, who shared his stem cells with him more than 20 years ago to treat Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. You gave us so much time with him. Thank you.

His greatest joys were his daughters and granddaughters. While not particularly affectionate he was perpetually proud, and we never questioned or doubted his love for us. He was so proud of the families we were building - our choices for spouses in particular. Grandpa never came over empty-handed - an unwrapped toy hot off the Walmart shelves, or cash, was a 100% certainty for every visit. For birthdays, his standard gift was $100 + the age you were turning - in cash! He was reliable, and steadfast. He could be counted on, always.

Michael was generous, sometimes to a fault. He never said no - even on the manual labor favor requests that were occasionally made of him. Fence building and various other “dad things”…he did them. He may have grumbled on occasion, but he did them.

He loved an underdog and he was always willing to lend a hand. He loved people – all people – which wasn’t always immediately discernible by his external demeanor. He was a teddy bear though - very sweet and soft. To know him was to love him.

In lieu of flowers, please consider at least one of the following options to honor Mike: a charitable donation to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, sign up to participate in the Be The Match program, or establish a regular schedule to donate blood and platelets at MD Anderson.

Dad always said he was “unlucky but blessed”. He survived FOUR separate cancer diagnoses over a 20+ year span. He taught us what it means to fight to survive. He was our Miracle Man. We’re glad he can rest now.

“Don’t worry about a thing, every little thing gonna be alright.”

A reception for Michael will be held Monday, November 20, 2023 from 12:30 PM to 2:00 PM at Kingwood Funeral Home, 22800 Highway 59 North, Kingwood, TX 77339, followed by a celebration of life from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.kingwoodfuneralhome.com for the Henderson family.