James Henderson memorial service set for Saturday

By John Loesing Acorn Staff Writer

James Henderson

"Dapper gentleman" and devoted founder of the city, James Henderson will be remembered this Saturday in a memorial service at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Westlake Village.

Henderson passed way last week following a long respiratory illness. He was 88.

The May 31 service begins at 2 p.m. and the church is at 32111 Watergate Road in Westlake Village.

After moving to the area’s First Neighborhood in 1968, Henderson worked diligently to bring the city of Westlake Village into existence.

"I became involved in the affairs of the city because of Jim," said former Mayor Iraj Broomand. "He was going door-to-door collecting signatures for the incorporation of the city and he came to our door, and from then on, I had a tremendous amount of respect for the guy and found him to be an extremely knowledgeable, wonderful person—very caring and deeply dedicated to the affairs of the city."

Among other duties, Henderson served as treasurer of the Westlake Village Incorporation Committee.

Last year he published a book about the history of Westlake Village to celebrate the city’s 20th anniversary. In his discussion of the region and the development of the new city, he alludes to references as far back as the 18th Century.

"He could tell you the whole history of the whole area," said longtime friend and City Councilwoman Betty DeSantis. "Obviously he wrote the book and the reason why we motivated him to write the book is that he would always correct people when they talked about the Conejo Valley vs. the Russell Valley and so forth," DeSantis said.

From 1989 to 1995, Henderson served as both member and president of the First Neighborhood Property Owners’ Association. He also was chairman of the former Westlake Village Medical Center and served as a trustee for Los Robles Regional Medical Center and Conejo Future Foundation.

Despite his dedication to the city, Henderson didn’t join its city council until he was 80. The year was 1995.

"He was not on the first council, but he was encouraged to run," said former mayor and council-member Kris Carraway-Bowman. "He kept saying, ‘No, no, I’m too old, I’m too old.’ And that was back in 1981."

Henderson served one term on the council until his defeat in 1999.

Fellow officials remember Henderson as thoughtful, erudite and always well prepared.

"The whole time he was on city council, he immersed himself in the city," DeSantis said. "He probably studied the agenda more than anybody else I know. He asked more questions before the meeting started to make sure he had all his facts in place. He was meticulous."

DeSantis also said Henderson was a "stickler" for English grammar and grammatical errors.

"If you made one, he was sure to correct you … But he was a dapper gentleman," she said.

First Neighborhood last year named its community center after James B. Henderson. He was a retired aerospace engineering and marketing executive in addition to his role as community servant.

"I don’t ever recall ending a conversation with Jim without having a smile on my face and just feeling great," said City Councilman Mark Rutherford. "I enjoyed talking with Jim, we talked a lot, and between he and I, we solved all the world’s problems."

Henderson is survived by his wife, Lucille, his daughter, Jill, grandson Gene Furr, granddaughter Heather House, great-granddaughter Savanna House and great-grandsons Colin, Mason and Declan Furr.

The family asks that memorial contributions be made in Jim’s name to a charity of choice.

"He was a very, very dear friend of mine," Carraway-Bowman said. "I have a huge whole in my heart because I miss him terribly."