Verona Claire Henderson

Verona Claire Henderson (1932-2010)

For those who knew Verona professionally, she was a "legend." For those privileged to know Verona personally, she was marked by her strong character, wit, charm, integrity, resilience, loyalty, and intelligence. A pioneer in her field, and a devoted friend, daughter, mother, and grandmother, Verona contributed to her profession and to the lives of those she loved. To meet Verona was to be impressed, as her personality and humor could never go unnoticed.

Verona was born on March 7, 1932, to William Thomas and Pauline Claire Henderson and grew up in Abingdon, Virginia. Her parents owned and ran the Tru Blu restaurant with family-style dining, a favorite among locals. Often called "Little Tom" as her father's daughter, Verona spent much of her childhood in the restaurant with her family, or, as she claimed, in trouble at the principal's office.

This self proclaimed trouble-maker performed well in school. She graduated from Virginia Intermont College and received a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the Medical College of Virginia. After her studies, she spent a few years teaching at the collegiate level. She abruptly re-directed her career away from the academic realm and switched to the "real world" after one of her students threatened that she would never survive outside the "ivory tower."
Verona did more than just "survive" in the professional world; she thrived. One of the first female pharmacists in Southwest Virginia, and the first female manager of People's Drug, now CVS, she had a stellar career in a world dominated by men. She was the best in her trade and devoted herself to her work with fifteen-hour work days. From her point of view, eight hours was "part-time." Her business acumen was unmatched. Whenever a pharmacy in Southwest Virginia was financially challenged, Verona Henderson was the recovery guru. In addition to her working skills, she was always considerate of her colleagues, working holidays so as to ensure that other pharmacists could be home with their families.

After Verona's father passed away in the late sixties, she took time to help her mother with the Tru Blu restaurant. Beginning in the late seventies they moved in together in Salem, Virginia, with Verona both working as a pharmacist and looking after her mother. She retired in 1995, and shortly thereafter, the Christodoulides family moved into the house next door. A Greek couple, John and Olga, and their daughter, Marina, at first seemed like unlikely friends. However, through Pauline's insistence, Verona agreed to come to their Christmas dinner that year.

From that first dinner grew a beautiful friendship between two familiesâ??a friendship that absolved the boundary between families and merged them into one. Pauline, Verona, John, Olga, and Marina spent time together daily, sharing meals and excursions. In 1996, Pauline passed away. Shortly thereafter, the Christodoulides were shopping for a new house and asked Verona to move in with them, and she agreed. Verona became a mother for John and Olga who were far from their parents in Greece, and a grandmother to Marina. In return, Verona acquired the family she never had. They shared the last fifteen years of Verona's life learning, loving, living, and laughing together.

Verona was a dreamer and a fighter, full of conviction and energy, with an aura of invincibility. Verona will be missed by her surviving aunt Mary Bare and her children; numerous cousins; her "sister" Libby Guilford; her "brother" Bill Grigg; her "sons" Bill Grigg and Gordon Grigg and "daughters" Charlie Kell and Peti Jackson, and their families; Anne Harrington and her family; her "sister" Betty Ferrier, and her godchildren. She will also be deeply missed by her adopted family John, Olga, and Marina Christodoulides.

A funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 4, 2010 at the Main Street Chapel of Farris Funeral Service with Father Craig Wylie officiating. Friends will be received from 11:30-12:45 pm on Saturday. The committal service will follow at Knollkreg Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, donations in her name to the American Heart Association are appreciated.