Dorothy Marie Henderson
HENDERSON, SIMON, ROTENBERGER
Posted By: Sarah Fletcher (email)
Date: 2/19/2020 at 14:10:00
Dorothy Marie Henderson (nee Simon) died February 8, 2020 at the age of 84 surrounded by family. Born Jan. 16, 1936 to Caroline Rotenberger and Lawrence Simon, she was the eldest of four girls and grew up in Riverside until the eighth grade. She moved to Iowa City with her mother and sisters and attended City High, and later Iowa State Teachers College.
While she was home from college for a visit, she met the soon-to-be love of her life, Robert (Bob) Henderson. Bob was on leave from the Navy when he asked her out. It was love at first sight. After graduating in 1957, she moved to Cedar Rapids, and later back to Iowa City to teach. Over her long career, she taught thousands of students, encouraging their intellectual curiosity and emotional development.
Dorothy and Bob were married June 13, 1959 and for 51 years shared a powerful love. As a mom she made sure her sons John and Jay were smart, independent men who could cook for themselves, traits very much appreciated by their wives Abby and Kristy. She also kept a very clean house and was known for doing late-night laundry loads to keep up with the men of the house. Those skills seemed to skip a generation.
Whether it was a half-time show or bike race, Dorothy and Bob would drive hours to watch their sons for a few minutes. They were Jay and John’s biggest fans.
Dorothy was a devoted caregiver of Bob through multiple cancer diagnoses and together with their sons and daughters-in-law participated in many American Cancer Society Relays for Life in Johnson County, running “Bob’s Dogs,” a food booth that provided physical sustenance and cheerleading to the walkers and their supporters.
Bob and Dorothy loved travel and volunteering. Vacations to Hawaii, China, Australia, and the Mediterranean added excitement to their well-deserved retirement. When not traveling, they spent much of their retirement serving others. At Mercy Hospital they greeted anxious visitors, and attended cancer support groups.
Some might call Dorothy a fan of the color blue, others might call her obsessed. Sky blue adorned the wallpaper in her Juniper Drive home, the exterior paint of that house, the color of her cars, the beautiful silk suit she wore to John’s wedding, and the scarf she wore to her husband’s funeral. It was a specific shade of blue she adored and when it came to buying gifts for her, the object was not as important as the color. That she surrounded herself with the calming color is a testament to her intention to create peace in the home.
She is survived by sons John (Abby) and Jay (Kristy), sisters Delsie (Paul) and Maxine, and brother-in-law Richard (Colleen). She was predeceased by her husband, Robert, sister Mary Catherine, sister-in-law Eleanor, and brothers-in-law Joseph and Don.
Her family will greet friends Friday, February 21st, from 9:00 to 10:00 am at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Iowa City. A Memorial Mass will begin at 10:00 am. Burial will follow in St. Joseph Cemetery in Iowa City.
Instead of flowers and plants, the family requests that memorials be directed to the American Cancer Society or Iowa City Hospice.
Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service
Johnson Obituaries maintained by Cindy Booth Maher.
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