Jane Elizabeth Henderson, 91, former Philly educator
Mrs. Henderson taught at the Widener Memorial School in Olney. Her pupils still tell her son what a profound effect she had on them.
Jane Elizabeth Henderson, 91, a retired educator in the Philadelphia School District and the wife of former WDAS radio personality Douglass "Jocko" Henderson, died Monday, Feb. 12, of complications from the flu at Chestnut Hill Hospital.
Mrs. Henderson was born in Pittsburgh to Bertha Jackson and Fred R. West. She had a happy childhood as the family moved to Hampton, Va., and eventually Baltimore, where her father was a pharmacist in the Druid Hill section, she would later tell her son, Douglass Jr.
A graduate of Phoenix High School in Hampton, Mrs. Henderson graduated from Fisk University in Nashville. Her major was elementary education. While there, she pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.
In 1950 she met "the smooth-talking" Douglass Henderson, who had made a name for himself as a radio personality in Baltimore, her son said. The Hendersons married in 1951 and moved to Philadelphia, where their son was born in 1953.
Henderson broadcast on WDAS and other stations that featured oldies music. As her husband expanded his career into various businesses and entertainment ventures, Mrs. Henderson acted as his assistant and social secretary.
"They hosted and attended star-studded parties and events at their residence in Germantown and in New York," her son said. "They traveled together and generally enjoyed life to the fullest."
Mrs. Henderson, however, felt the need to have her own career. Building on earlier experience teaching elementary school in Baltimore, she became a special education teacher in history at Widener Memorial School in Olney. While there, she earned a master's degree equivalency in special education. The public school provides a supportive learning environment for K-12 students with physical and medical disabilities.
She had a profound effect on her pupils. "To this day, many remember her as a dedicated educator and mentor," her son said. She retired from the School District in the early 1990s.
In retirement, Mrs. Henderson became active with the National Smart Set, a social organization for African American women that has numerous chapters nationwide. She maintained her social schedule until health issues showed her down, her son said. Despite that, she remained upbeat.
In 2000, after almost a half-century of marriage, her husband died. She became friendly with Earl Melvin Lloyd, and they enjoyed traveling, dining, attending social events, seeing shows in New York, and just being together.
Mrs. Henderson's only brother, Fred R. West Jr., said the siblings remained close throughout their lives. "The last time we talked was Jan. 7, and we laughed the whole hour," West said. "I loved her and will miss her a lot."
Besides her son, her brother, and Lloyd, Mrs. Henderson is survived by a granddaughter; three great-grandchildren; nieces and nephews; and a large extended family.
A viewing starting at 9 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 22, will be followed by an 11 a.m. funeral service at Mount Zion Baptist Church, 41 W. Rittenhouse St. Entombment is in West Laurel Hill Cemetery, Bala Cynwyd.