Roy Terrell Henderson

Roy Terrell Henderson departed this life on November 22, 2014, at the age of 82 years. He was born in Savannah, Tennessee on September 22, 1932, the only child of his devoted parents, Jennie Terrell and Roy H. Henderson.

His high school years were filled with many sports activities as he excelled in football, basketball, baseball and track, and he graduated from Central High School (HCHS) in 1951. He attended the University of North Alabama on a football scholarship, but after football season was over, he hitchhiked to Nashville and joined the U. S Navy, serving in the SeaBees Construction Battalion from 1952-1956, primarily stationed in the Philippines during the Korean War. Returning to Savannah after his service, Roy worked as a door-to-door insurance salesman, giving Wayne Jerrolds his first job. He married Grace Belew Trammell of Waynesboro, TN in 1959, and they settled into married life in a little rental house on White Street, where their neighbors became lifelong friends. His family attended First United Methodist Church in Savannah. He was one of the first employees of Tennessee River Pulp and Paper Company (“the paper mill”- PCA), where he worked in the wood yard, becoming Wood Yard Foreman and gaining a reputation as a fun-loving friend among his fellow employees, who gave him the nicknames “Papa Smurf” (due to his silver-white hair), and “Tushhog”, his CB radio moniker. He retired in 1993.

Roy’s love for the outdoors prompted many family camping trips - from early days in a pup tent, to visiting Washington DC in a truck camper. He loved Pickwick Lake and the Tennessee River, and always had a boat (or two). He enjoyed fishing, hunting, watching football, and tinkering with his many vehicles, from his earliest Ford Model A in high school to his more recent 1963 Ford Falcon convertible. He was a voracious reader of anything related to history, particularly the Civil War and World War II.

Roy loved dancing and music of all kinds, and especially loved to sing Al Jolson songs. He performed in musical shows with his friend Tommy Lewis Johnson in the early 1960’s. In later years, a special group of friends formed around his daughter’s choral group “Destiny”, and he loved singing at parties with several other dads, a group affectionately known as “Desperately”. He was a devoted son, husband, father, grandfather and friend who loved us unconditionally.

He was preceded in death by his parents Roy and Jennie Henderson, and his uncle Edward Terrell.

Survivors include his wife, Grace; children, Roy Terrell Henderson Jr, of Savannah, and Elizabeth Belew Turney (James P.) of Huntsville AL; and grandchildren, Caroline Elise Henderson and Grace Belew Turney.

Memorials may be made to The Alzheimer’s Association.