Kalas Funeral Home & Crematory

Fort Foote Baptist Church

Dr. Charles Henderson 84, passed away peacefully on Sunday, September 5, 2021 in Clinton, MD. 

He was born on July 30, 1937 in Okolona, MS, the son of Dr. Thomas Zuber and Minnie Henderson. Charles spent his early years in West Point, MS. He was raised along with his sisters LaVerne and Verniece by his maternal grandfather Samuel Henderson, after the death of their mother in 1943. His grandfather moved the family to Boston, MA to pursue better job and education opportunities for himself, children and grandchildren. Charles spent the summers of his teenage years in West Point, MS with his father’s family. 

Charles was raised in the Baptist church by his grandfather, who was a Deacon. He was baptized at Twelfth Baptist church in Boston, MA, where he attended until relocating for school. When he moved to the Washington, DC area, he regularly attended Fort Foote Baptist Church in Fort Washington with his family. He would always attend Easter and Christmas services and choir concerts with his sister LaVerne at Sargent Memorial Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC. In May 2013, he became a member of Fort Foote Baptist Church. 

Charles was educated in the Boston school system, graduating from Boston English High School in 1955. He continued his education at Northeastern University graduating in 1960 with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, as a distinguished military graduate. Following his graduation, Charles was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Army Reserves from 1961-1963. He relocated to California to continue his education at UCLA, where he earned a Masters of Science degree in 1969 and a PhD in Biomedical Engineering in 1973. 

While completing his PhD, Charles met and married Janice Roberts in 1969. From that union two sons were born, Eric Vincent and Marc Christopher. After 27 fruitful years, their marriage came to an end. 
Charles began his professional career as a research engineer with various companies in California. As his career advanced, it brought him to the Washington, DC area, where he settled in Fort Washington, MD to raise his family. He spent most of his career in the aerospace industry changing his focus from weapons development to medical systems development. 

Charles had many professional honors which included his recognition in Who’s Who Among Black Americans 1977-1978. In 1974, he had the honor of presenting his dissertation at an engineering conference in Copenhagen, Denmark. Charles was a prolific writer, including many peer-reviewed technical papers and winning proposals. He was a member of various professional organizations including IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), BMES (Biomedical Engineering Society), Eta Kappa Nu (IEEE Honor Society). 

While in high school Charles developed a life-long love for track and field. He loved distance-running, competing in many track meets and marathons. His love of track and field took him yearly to the Penn Relays. Prior to this year, he attended every summer Olympic Games except one, since the 1960’s. Charles loved to travel and was an avid photographer. He would always take pictures to share his experiences with family and friends. He loved to ice skate, stopping only within the past few years due to health concerns. He loved listening to smooth jazz and attended many concerts. His greatest love was spending time with his family. He never missed a family gathering. He was always in the stands or the audience of activities involving his children, grandchildren, sister, nieces and nephews. Charles loved to read and write. He had published one book and had the manuscripts for four others including his autobiography, at the time of his passing. 

Charles leaves to mourn: two sons, Eric V. Henderson Sr. (Kellie), Dr. Marc C. Henderson (Raven), three grandchildren Dr. Brittany Henderson, Eric Henderson II and Luke Henderson, three sisters Alice Dunston, A. LaVerne Logan and Dorothy Dismuke, and many cousins, nieces, nephews and friends. Charles was preceded in death by his parents, his sisters Katherine Henderson, Marcheta Davis, Marlene Johnson, Elmetra Perry, Verniece Hensey and his brother Thomas Dixon.


Charles Henderson

Charles Henderson

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