Obituary of Constance "Connie" Henderson

HENDERSON: Constance (Connie) Anne (née Long), passed away peacefully on Friday, August 24, 2018 at the Assiniboine Centre, Brandon, Manitoba. She was a resident of Dinsdale Personal Care Home. Connie was born on November 18, 1933 in Lethbridge, Alberta to Barbara Rene Long (née Theodore) and Russell Tyler Long. She was predeceased by her parents, her brother Dennis Russell Long, and her brother Barry Walt. She is also predeceased by her husband Melvin Fraser Henderson in 2016. Connie is survived by her sister Audrey, and her children: Dara Henderson of Nanaimo, British Columbia; Lois Henderson (Dave Baxter) of Brandon, Manitoba; Tyler Henderson (Niki) of Frankford, Ontario, and Melody Herman (Brent) of Calgary, Alberta; and all their families including eight grandchildren (Jeniva, Sara, Hillary, Victoria, Morgan, Jayden, Ty, and Emma), and three great grandchildren (Grace, Lochlan, and Angus). Connie is also survived by her nephew, Ivan Sandy (Anita Perry) who spent many years with the Henderson's, as well as many nieces and nephews. As a youngster, Connie lived in Hutterville, Alberta, where her mother was a school teacher, and she went to high school in Jasper, Alberta, later moving to Vancouver, British Columbia. Connie was a veteran, serving as a Fighter Control Operator in the Royal Canadian Airforce. She met her future husband, Mel Henderson, in St. Hubert, Quebec, and they were married in North Hero, Vermont in 1953. Mel was a sabre jet pilot, and shortly after their marriage he was transferred to the Canadian military station in Baden Solingen, Germany where Connie soon joined him. In 1955 they welcomed their first born, Dara Lee, followed by Lois Cari in 1957, Tyler James in 1960, and Melody Jane in 1965. Connie went with Mel from military base to military base, raising children while Mel flew airplanes. In addition to raising four children, Connie curled, was an avid reader, and loved to sew and knit. She was very persistent with her golf game, and she knew that someday it would all come together. Along with her husband and children, she moved from Germany to Saskatoon, and then on to Rivers, Portage La Prairie, Winnipeg, St. Hubert, and Yellowknife. In Yellowknife she came in to her own. Always an avid competitor in the sport of curling, she began curling competitively and represented the Northwest Territories in the Alberta Woman's Provincial Curling Championship on five occasions, as well as serving as secretary to the Yellowknife Curling Club for five years. She also went to work for the first time since her children were born, and due to her keen intelligence and management skills, she quickly rose through the government ranks to earn the role of Deputy Registrar of Securities and Legal Registries for the Government of the Northwest Territories. Mel retired from the military while the family was living in Yellowknife, and while he began a new career with Ptarmigan Airways, Connie continued to provide sound counsel to the government and legal community. From Yellowknife, she and Mel retired to Vancouver Island, where they had purchased an acreage in Errington, British Columbia. Complete with chickens, geese and dogs, they lived a fabulous rural life, gardening, fishing and golfing in the summer, putting down their garden in the fall, and curling and travelling in the winter months. Connie was very involved with the Conservative Party, serving as a director and second vice-president of the Comox-Alberni Progressive Conservative Association. She also worked at many volunteer activities, including the volunteer fire department of Errington, and the Old Schoolhouse in Qualicum Beach. She particularly loved when her children and grandchildren would visit the Stump Farm in Errington in the summer months. It was at her knee that her grandchildren learned what it meant to be a strong, intelligent and independent woman. A woman of contradictions, she knew how to drive, but did so rarely, relying on Mel to take her where she needed to be. In 2016, Connie moved to Brandon, Manitoba to be closer to family. She had great fun travelling the River Heights Terrace bus to the casino, to go shopping, or sometimes just to get out and about. She then moved to Dinsdale Personal Care Home, where she had wonderful care from very caring people, each of whom made her feel special. A private Celebration of Life will be held at a date to be determined. Donations may be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, Unit 3-2430 Victoria Avenue, Brandon, MB, R7B 0M5.