John Gibson Henderson, Jr. (“Gib”) crossed over into the loving embrace of his Savior Jesus Christ surrounded by just a few of those who loved him most and best on Thursday, September 30th, 2021. He is survived by his loving children, Lucas Henderson, Anna McLaughlin, and Christina Henderson; his beloved Faye Henderson, who was his wife for 27 years; his precious grandchildren, Zach & Elise Henderson and Cora, Asher, Beth & Josh McLaughlin; and a host of extended family and friends who became as dear as family and loved and served him with unmatched devotion, including Chris & Claire Germer, Mike & Ruth Ann Herries, Jim & Laura Howard, Ron Margolis, John Hensley, Andy Burch and David Lander. It would take volumes to list the name of every person who played a special role in his life, all of whom we, his family, thank with deep gratitude.

Gib (as a child, Gibby), born May 28, 1945, was the second-born, the only son, of his brilliant, hard-working father, John Gibson Henderson, Sr., and his funny, vibrant mother, Hannah. Gib got all his parents’ best attributes and then some. He excelled in school, was president of his fraternity and a member of the Jabberwocks at Brown University, and was just generally lots of fun and great at everything, as his big sister Margy was quick to point out, with not a small, albeit a playful, eye roll.

After graduation from Brown, Gib served in Teacher Corps and in several other capacities in education, grew his beard long, learned to play the banjo, delighted in his firstborn son Lucas, and eventually found his life’s work as a psychologist, graduating from Temple University in the early 1980s. His older daughter Anna arrived on the scene shortly before he earned his doctorate, not long after which point, the family relocated to St. Louis, which would become his home for the remainder of his life.

We all have moments in our lives that become “before” vs. “after” demarcations in our story. For Gib, April 1996 was the beginning of a journey that would color the rest of his life and forever change him. Not long after he married the love of his life, Faye (nee Trent), he came down with a “bug” he could not shake. He went on to be diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia – at the time, a very sobering diagnosis with little likelihood of survival. Gib was able to get on a clinical trial, and while it mercifully saved his life, giving those he loved most the blessed gift of another 25 years together, it also left him paralyzed.

What the Lord took away from Gib’s body, He gave in double-measure to Gib’s soul. Gib found Christ, the living God, in the course of his cancer treatments and courageously humbled himself before the Lord as he suffered deeply and endured agonizing and compounded losses in the coming decades because of his paralysis and resulting complications. He was a living testimony to the love and kindness of God to all around him, as he continually found a path to peace, good humor (including bad jokes!), and hope in the midst of daily pain and travail. There is no greater testimony of this hope in his life than his younger daughter, Christina, who was welcomed into the family with joy five years after he was first paralyzed.

It is hard for those of us who love him most to begin to recount the ways and times that he encouraged, exhorted, and loved us to a higher version of ourselves, helping us find God in the midst of the hardest of circumstances, through his example and his compassionate kindness. Gib leaves behind an inheritance of peace and joy for all who had the privilege of knowing, loving and serving him, and a hole in our lives that we look to the living God to fill with a deep hope and a greater measure of compassion. Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the JOY of your Father. We will love you always.

We will be celebrating Gib’s life on Saturday, October 9th at 11am at Ladue Chapel Presbyterian Church, 9450 Clayton Rd, St. Louis, MO 63124. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to Ladue Chapel Presbyterian Church at the same address, designated for the Music Fund, or to Paraquad St. Louis, 5240 Oakland Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110.