It is with great sorrow that we announce the death of Elaine Henderson, devoted and loving mother of Marcela Henderson and grandmother of Daniela Henderson.
Elaine was predeceased by her beloved parents, John and Sis Henderson. From them she learned a deep love of family and a great affection for Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia, their respective birthplaces.
Elaine was also predeceased by her treasured brother Ross Henderson and her beloved sister-in-law Jo Henderson.
Cherished sister of Sue Turner (Bill) and Mike Henderson (Jo, deceased), as well as a wonderful aunt to her five nieces: Candace (Paula), Tracy, Jennie, Kate and Beth.
Best friend to Jennie Abell and dear friend to many other close friends.
Elaine was a wonderful light in our lives. Her kindness and compassion, her intellect and sense of justice, her strong independence, and her sense of humour enriched us all.
Her enduring integrity and passion for social justice framed her career in adult education and development work in Northern Manitoba and Northern Saskatchewan, and subsequently with CUSO in Bolivia, with Save the Children in Nicaragua, and with OXFAM in Cuba and in Ottawa.
A celebration of Elaine’s Life will be arranged at a future date in the spring of 2024.
Special thanks to Dr. Arleigh McCurdy and the Multiple Myeloma team at the Ottawa Hospital for the compassionate care they provided to Elaine over the past years, and to Dr. Cindy Wang and the Bytown Palliative Medicine team.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the charity of your choice or to Myeloma Canada.
Digital Guestbook
Yaizel
Kevin and Nicole Stevenson
Such a lovely tribute. She was such a giving caring individual. She will be missed by friends and family.
Lucue Goulet
Elaine was a truly committed and engaged woman, with a strong sense of ethics. I enjoyed working with her both at Save the Children and at Oxfam, and remember that her laughing, which came easily to her, always lighted up the offuce hallways. Thanks Elaine for all that you gave.
Miriam Palacios
Elaine was my co-worker in Oxfam and her commitment to justice was always an inspiration to me. I will always remember her calm nature and her beautiful and contagious smile. Rest in Peace Amiga.
Beatriz Gonzalez Manchon
I had the honour of working with Elaine many years at Oxfam and those will remain fond memories. The best adventure though is when she convinced me to join her in walking a half marathon with her and Jennie the year I turned 40. We trained, we walked and walked, shared stories and we did it! Descansa en paz y hasta siempre querida Elaine.
Linda Ross
Elaine was a colleague and a friend. Her dedication to peace and justice was unwavering. She had an infectious smile and quiet sense of humour. Deepest sympathies to her family and friends.
May Ann Kainola
From the time that Elaine and I met in Cochabamba in 1983 to work on 2 separate CUSO projects but ended up working together with the Quechua women's knitting co-op, La Imilla, we have remained fast friends. She was highly respected and loved by all the people that she worked with. When we did a return visit to Bolivia in 2017, we were able to have warm reunions with many of our Bolivian friends. Elaine has touched so many lives and she will be greatly missed. My deepest condolences to her family and friends.
Nicole Salmon
Elaine had such a deep and abiding sense of justice and dedicated so much of her life to its pursuit. During our time at Oxfam, whether it working with her on a project or enjoying a visit to her home with Marcela and her cat, she welcomed me with grace and absolutely wonderful and memorable smile. You Walked Good in life Elaine, and there is no need to stop in the afterlife my friend. Condolences to her family and loved ones.
Xiomara Campos
I worked with Elaine for a few years at Oxfam and have fond memories of our meetings. One in particular when I was very new at Oxfam, the meeting was about reviewing “EC Americas budget” and I remembered thinking I better be honest so I told her I was confused that I needed some time to digest the information. And, her response was “no worries pretty sure even with time it will still be confusing” and she laughed so contagiously. I will forever remember that moment in time.
Over the years I learned more about Elaine and her BIG heart, she was a remarkable person, very kind, committed and thoughtful. My deepest condolences.
Descanca en paz querida Elaine.
Maureen Hollingworth
I had the opportunity to work with Elaine when she was based at Oxfam in Ottawa. She approached her work with strong social justice beliefs and thoughtful analysis. She was also fun to work with -- ready to share a laugh with that wonderful smile as shown in the picture above.
I have beautiful memories that remain in my heart, thank you for making it possible to stay in communication. Love you forever