Johnnie Henderson, a former Forney ISD Superintendent of Schools who is also remembered as one of the winningest coaches in Forney football history, died Saturday morning, June 20, after a brief illness.

Mr. Henderson and his wife, Evelyn, were both dedicated and respected educators. Mr. Henderson taught and coached in Forney, and Mrs. Henderson taught in the Forney school system from the time they came to Forney in the summer of 1959.

As a football coach at Forney, Mr. Henderson led the Forney Jackrabbits to the playoffs in eight consecutive seasons beginning in 1959. The team had two consecutive undefeated district seasons—the first in 1965, when Forney emerged as the undefeated regional champion (12-1), and the second in 1966, when Forney was the undefeated quarterfinal champion (13-1).

The year Mr. Henderson became superintendent, Forney ISD passed a school bond issue to build a new high school. The new campus on FM 740 South opened as Forney High School at the beginning of the 1973-1974 school year and continued to house the high school until it became Forney Middle School. At the beginning of school year 2008-2009, the campus reopened as Warren Middle School after an extensive rebuilding program that took more than a year.

Not long after Mr. Henderson’s  tenure as Superintendent began, new programs were added to all of Forney’s schools and the district was returned to fully-accredited status.

Mr. Henderson retired from public education in the early 1980s and accepted the post of Superintendent of First Baptist Academy, Dallas. He served in this capacity for the next seven years. After his second retirement, Mr. Henderson served for six years as Director of the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools.

Henderson Elementary School on FM 1641, which opened in the fall of 2003, was named in honor of both Mr. and Mrs. Henderson. They have taken part in various activities and have done volunteer work in various classrooms on campus since the campus was opened.

A lifelong Southern Baptist, Mr. Henderson served as both a member and chairman of the Deacons at First Baptist Church in Forney and at one time or another served on virtually every church committee.

Mr. Henderson served in the Army with the 394th Infantry Regiment and 99th Infantry Division during World War II and took part in two major battles, including the Battle of the Bulge. He was injured after the Army crossed the Rhine River at the Remagen Bridge and received a Purple Heart. Mr. Henderson was a member of the American Legion, Post 591.

Mr. Henderson was active in many Forney civic organizations and in 1996 was named the Forney Chamber of Commerce’s Citizen of the Year. In 2001 he was inducted into the Forney Alumni Hall of Honor. In 2006 he was Grand Marshal of Forney’s annual Homecoming Parade. He helped to found the Forney Lions Club under its present charter in his own office in 1978 and served as a president of the club. At the time of his death he was the club’s Chaplain.

Mr. Henderson was also on the Board of Directors of the Forney Education Leadership Foundation.

Judy and Cary Griffin, publishers of the Forney Messenger, worked with Mr. Henderson often while he was Superintendent and through their association with the Hendersons in various Forney civic endeavors. The Griffins will remember Mr. Henderson well.

“We never called them ‘Johnnie’ and ‘Evelyn’,” Griffin said. “We always referred to them as Mr. and Mrs. Henderson out of pure respect.

“The Hendersons had just returned to Forney a few months before we came to take over the paper,” Griffin continued, “and as Superintendent, Mr. Henderson was always a supporter of the Messenger. In fact, the first public notice the paper published after we became the owners was a notice concerning the bond issue for the new high school.”

As a couple, the Hendersons were also strong supporters of the Forney Jackrabbits and Forney ISD. They had season tickets to varsity games every year, and they were always in their seats for the annual Jackrabbit kickoff rally that’s held every August.

Mr. Henderson, along with his wife, was a “doer and supporter” of education, and Henderson Elementary School Principal Steve Chapman, Assistant Principal Dr. Nancy Shaw and the entire Henderson Elementary staff always included both of them in activities at the school—the last being Rachel’s Rally last month, just before classes were dismissed for the summer. During each school year at Henderson Elementary, the Hendersons were invited to take part in staff development and to various classrooms for reading and other activities.

“Mr. Henderson was a respected educator not only in Forney, but was respected in education circles across the area,” Griffin said. “Mr. Henderson was always a gentleman—and Mrs. Henderson is truly a lady.”