Bob Henderson passed away on July 18, 2023. He was born in Arden, Washington, during the Great Depression of 1929-1934, to James Thomas Henderson and Lena Luese Oehlschlaeger.
Bob was very interested in the family ancestry and dug up lots of information over the years from his Scottish and German heritage. One of the highlights of retirement was a trip to Scotland that he and Sylvia took. Bob’s fraternal grandfather, Wallace Henderson of the Scottish Henderson Clan, immigrated from Leswalt, Wigtown, Scotland to Ontario, Canada, where Bob’s father James Thomas was born, then to Calgary, Canada where his family was raised. His maternal grandfather, Herman August Carl Oehlschlaeger, immigrated from Kestin, Germany to Northeast Washington state, where James Thomas met his young bride Lena Luese, and settled to raise their family. Bob was their 4th of five children.
Bob was preceded in death by his former wife, Martha, as well as his brother Wallace, and sisters Dorothy, Margie, and Carol. He is survived by his sons Wallace, Gerald, and James, and by his daughter Diana Wehrli, as well as his 4 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. Bob and his wife Sylvia were married for 43 years. She continues to reside at their Guemes Island home.
Growing up in Colville Washington, Bob enjoyed most sports, with keen interest in basketball, football, and boxing. During his high school and young adult years Bob worked alongside his father and brother, Walace, in the logging industry. After that Bob served for two years in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, although he thankfully never had to experience combat. Following his military service he worked his way through college studying Geography and earning a Bachelors Degree from Eastern Washington College of Education then a Masters Degree from the University of Washington.
Throughout the years Bob continued his interest in sports as a fan of the Seattle area college and professional teams, as a youth coach in basketball and football, and as a basketball player in community leagues. Towards the tail end of Bob’s working career, he took interest in Sailing, joining the Shilshole Bay Marina Yacht Club, and spent many summer days sailing the Puget Sound area.
For 27 years Bob served as Planning Director for the City of Lynnwood, Washington, where he was instrumental in creating the Alderwood Shopping Center among many other developments. Upon retirement in 1995 Bob and his wife Sylvia, moved to Guemes Island, within the beautiful San Jaun Island archipelago, and a short 5-minute ferry ride from the seaside town of Anacortes, Washington.
There will be a graveside service at the Eden Cemetery, 6312 Guemes Island Road on Friday August 4th, at 11:00am. Afterward the family invites friends to honor Bob’s life at his Guemes Island home.
Bob and Sylvia’s time on Guemes Island has been enhanced by their friendships with fellow islanders and gatherings of the Guemes Island Community Center Association.
There will be a graveside service at Eden Cemetery, 6312 Guemes Island Road on Friday, August 4, at 11:00am. Afterward the family invites friends to honor Bob’s life at his Guemes Island home at 7479 Holiday Blvd. In lieu of sending flowers, the family suggests for those so moved to make donations in Bob’s honor to The Guemes Island Community Center Association at 7549 Guemes Island Road, Anacortes, WA 98221 To share memories of Bob please sign the online guest register and bookmark this link for future visits: www.evanschapel.com/obituary/bob-henderson.