Doris Lynn Henderson

Doris Lynn (Brown) Henderson, 86, was born to Harry and Alice Brown, September 10, 1933 in Keechi, Texas. She passed away on Thursday, September 3, surrounded by her family in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma.

Doris grew up in the small community of Keechi with her 5 siblings; Selma, Harry Jr., Betty, Carolyn and Nell. They were a very close knit family and attended church pastored by her Uncle Tom. She considered herself a tomboy as a child and loved playing outside with her friends and sisters. She graduated high school from nearby Buffalo, Texas and continued her education at Texas Christian University where she was a very proud Horned Frog. While attending college she met the love of her life, Cecil James Henderson, who was stationed at Carswell Air Force Base in Ft. Worth, Texas. They were married on November 10, 1955. Doris graduated nursing school in 1956 and the couple moved to Ada, Oklahoma. It was there Doris began her nursing career at Valley View Hospital and gave birth to three daughters, each two years apart. Her passion for her career was exceeded only by her devotion to her family. She was a woman who could seemingly do it all. She juggled a demanding career, and cared for her husband, children and home with grace, skill, and a mountain of love that blessed the lives of all she touched. As her husband’s career as a coach, teacher and school administrator took them on a number of moves around Oklahoma, she likewise found employment at a number of different medical institutions. Seven years after the birth of her third daughter, they added a baby boy to complete their family. She worked at Pauls Valley Hospital for 13 years in several different specialties including surgery and obstetrics. She loved helping deliver babies and teaching birthing classes to expectant parents. She changed jobs one final time to the Pauls Valley State School where she was director of nursing, staff development, inservice training and enumerable training programs. She retired in 1997 leaving a job she loved and a career’s worth of great friends and memories to reflect upon.

Doris had a wonderful curiosity about life and a great sense of humor. She was a great cook and specialized in making her husband and each of her children’s favorite meals. She was a life long and devoted church member and made sure her children were there every time the doors were open. She was a healer of wounds and a kisser of boo-boos. She was a reader of bedtime stories, singer of lullabies and a prayer warrior. She was a beloved Memaw to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She loved to travel, read, play cards and games with her friends and above all, spend as much time with her family as possible. The world is better for having her and diminished for the loss of her. Her legacy is a life well lived and a lifetime of giving unconditional love.

Doris was preceded in death by her siblings, Selma, Harry Jr., Betty, and Carolyn.

Doris is survived by her immediate family - her sister, Nell Keen, loving husband, Cecil Henderson, her daughter Joni Grubitz and her twin sons, Sam and Wylie, her daughter Rebecca Anderson and her husband, Terry and their three children, Joshua, Drew and Hannah, her daughter, Carllan Lane and her husband, Tommy and their four sons, Brandon, Cody, Rickey and Griffin, her son Cecil II and his wife, Jessica and son Cooper and daughter Isabella. Doris has an additional blessing of 11 great-grandchildren.

The family would like to express their thanks to the many caretakers as well as friends and well wishers for their outpouring of love and support.

The service will be held at the Beaty Baptist Church, Thursday, September 10, at 2 p.m. with Bro. Gerald Biswell. Burial will be in the Antioch Cemetery under the direction of John W. Williams of Winans Funeral Home. You may send a condolence to the family at [email protected]