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.
Elaine re-entered my life in 2011 at my Father’s funeral. She was hoping to catch up with a dear childhood friend my cousin Christine. I was fortunate to be able to spend the last dozen years getting to better know Elaine. She had the upper hand on me as she babysat me as a young child when our parents were stationed at Shearwater. She was always kind enough to not mention what a terror I was…just smiled when the subject was raised.
Though Elaine had her parents, a large family and a multitude of friends she took the time to take my elderly mother to Chapters for a coffee and an exchange of books….Elaine’s heart was as big as her smile and her home was always open to me when I was visiting. One could go on and on about Elaine’s positivity, courage, sense of humours and dedication to helping others. However, she was an unpretentious soul.
My deepest condolences to her devoted siblings, Marcela and Daniela.