Thomas Shields Henderson, longtime resident of Amelia Island, Fla. and previously of Chatham Township, N.J., passed away November 15, 2019 at the age of 87, after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease.
Born in 1932 in Chicago, Ill., Tom was the son of the late Joe Shields and Mercedes McCall Henderson. Tom was raised in Hamilton, Ohio and graduated from Hamilton High School in 1950. He attended Williams College (1954) and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Economy. During his senior year of college, Tom married Sally Sue Sohngen. Tom earned his MBA at Harvard Business School and then served two years as a specialist with the U.S. Army. Tom and Sally settled in New Jersey in 1958, when Tom began his investment career as a securities analyst at Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. in New York. Tom joined Lord Abbett & Co. in N.Y. as a portfolio manager in 1979, became a partner in 1982, and retired from Lord Abbett in 1996.
Tom and Sally retired to Amelia Island, where they were very active in the local community. Tom had several interests and hobbies, particularly travel, sports, and music. He was passionate about helping others and enjoyed volunteering and supporting several local organizations. Tom will be remembered for his faith, kindness, sincerity, gentlemanly ways, sense of humor, and, above all, his love for his family.
Tom is survived by his beloved wife of 66 years, Sally; their two daughters, Marcy Murphy and Amy Henderson; five granddaughters, Sara, Erin and Melissa Murphy and Lauren and Jaime Inglesino; two sisters, Jane McAdams and Sheila Baden; son-in-law, Jay Murphy; brother-in-law, Jim Baden; and several nieces and nephews.
The family expresses their deep gratitude to Tom’s devoted and caring Angel Watch caregivers who became part of the family during his illness. A special thank you to his doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, the staff at Osprey Village, and the nurses at Community Hospice & Palliative Care’s Warner Center for Caring in Fernandina Beach, Fla. for their care and support.
A celebration of Tom’s life is planned for January 25, 2020 at the Amelia Plantation Chapel, located at 36 Bowman Road on Amelia Island. Additional details and times will be available after the first of the new year at oxleyheard.com.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation at 110 E. 42nd St., 16th Floor, New York, NY 10017 or alzinfo.org or Amelia Plantation Chapel (in support of outreach missions) at 36 Bowman Road, Amelia Island, FL 32034 or ameliachapel.com.
Please share your memories and condolences at www.oxleyheard.com.
Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors