Diane Varner Henderson

Diane Varner Henderson passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday, October 2, 2018. Services will be 2:30 p.m., Friday, October 5, at First Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Dr. Leslie King officiating. She will lie in state at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey. Visitation will follow the service at 4:00 p.m., at Diane’s home. Diane was born November 28, 1940, in Dallas, to Maridean and Leslie Varner. Diane graduated from Highland Park High School in Dallas. She attended Lindenwood College in Missouri her freshman year and completed her education at Texas Christian University, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts. She was accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education with Special Services Position in Speech and Hearing Therapy and attended Northwestern University, where she received post graduate training in audiology, speech and language before she was hired to work as an audiologist and speech pathologist at Parkland Hospital in Dallas. Diane moved to Waco in 1963 with her husband, the late Dr. R.E. “Bill” Henderson, Jr., where he established his medical practice as a pathologist. In her early years in Waco, Diane was actively involved in the Junior League of Waco, serving as president from 1979 to 1980. During that time, she championed the League’s acquisition and renovation of the Waco Hippodrome Theatre on Austin Avenue. Through her many entrepreneurial endeavors, she became a trailblazer for downtown renovation and an advocate for small business owners in Waco. In 1981 she formed “Convention Connections,” an event, party planning and tourism company, with her partners, Barbara Martin and Maylois “Boo” Robinson. She eventually bought controlling interest of that company and in 1984, she purchased the old “Sachs” building at 1509 Austin Avenue in Waco, renaming it to its present day “Sironia.” At that time, very few retail or other business establishments existed in that area of downtown Waco. Diane renovated the old Sachs building, creating an emporium concept filled with multiple individual-owned retail shops, a tea room and a rental facility. She developed a business model that would enable, or “incubate,” small business owners, artists and individuals the opportunity to establish a proprietorship without the burden of excessive costs or large investment. Many of her early vendors successfully expanded to own their own free-standing retail stores, some even with multiple locations. Later, Diane renovated the building at 618 Austin Avenue, today known as Cameron Trading Company. At that time, the building was unoccupied and infested with pigeons. She restored it and filled it with three floors of antique vendors similar to the Sironia concept under her management company, The Crystal Palace Antiques. As a result of her early efforts to revitalize downtown Waco, she was named a business-person-of-the-year by the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce. Diane eventually sold the Sironia business, and later the property, to its current owners who to this day have a dish on the Tea Room menu in Diane’s honor. Later in life, Diane was actively involved in The Women’s Club, serving as president from 2001 to 2003. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Dr. R.E. Henderson, Jr.; and her sister, Susan Varner Shaw. She is survived by her daughter, Mary Henderson Senter, her son, R.E. “Ronny” Henderson III and wife, Charlotte; three grandchildren: Clark Dudley Senter, Olivia Leigh Henderson and R.E. “Billy” Henderson IV; her nieces and nephews, Rob Shaw, Lane and Richard Rouse, Cathy Shaw, Molly and George Jones, Clair Echols Bullard, Amy Echols Barbles, Kellye and Tommy Echols; many great nieces and nephews; and her special friend, Michelle Olvera. Pallbearers are William Callan, Artie Giotes, Brian Ginsburg, Billy Henderson, Arturo Hernandez, Billy Hubert, Clark Senter and Rob Shaw. Honorary pallbearers are the ladies of The Women’s Club and her loving neighbors, especially Nancy Callan and Sara Warren. The family is grateful for the caregiving services of Right at Home, Mrs. Ella McCoy, and especially her beloved Maria del Socorro Guerrero, who cared for her in the later years of her life. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First Presbyterian Church, 1100 Austin Avenue, Waco TX 76701; Waco ISD Education Foundation, P.O. Box 2369, Waco TX, 76703; or Meals on Wheels, 501 W. Waco Dr., Waco TX, 76707. The family invites you to leave a message or memory on our "Tribute Wall" at www.WHBfamily.com.