Moya Henderson

1916 - 2015

Moya Henderson

One of the Stars on Palm Springs Walk of Fame, villager Moya Henderson, died on 7 October after a wonderful life of 99 years.

Moya was born on the 4th of July 1916, between Independence and Liberty Streets in Los Angeles, California.

She attended Muir High School, then Pasadena Junior College, and graduated from UCLA with a degree in Physical Education.

In 1938, she arrived in Palm Springs to take a part-time job at Francis Stevens School. In order to provide enough money to live on, Katherine Finchy gave her a number of other paid jobs such as playground duty and Executive Director for the Girl Scouts.

In 1939 Nellie Coffman Junior High was open and Moya was given a full time contract. She started a Girls' Athletic Association because they had never had P.E. before. While buying athletic equipment for the girls at Palm Springs Sporting Goods, Moya met the owner, a Palm Springs pioneer, Joe Henderson. They fell in love and were married October 3rd, 1940.

Moya continued to teach until 1942 when her first child, Joe, was born. That was in Dr. Reeds office which is the Pepper Tree Inn today. Her second child, Moira, required that she travel back to Pasadena to stay with family as the only medical attention was available in Palm Springs was at the Torrey Pines Military Hospital. Because there was no such thing as a leave of absence in those days, she quit teaching.

When Joe joined the Navy in 1944, Moya applied to teach at Palm Springs High School, to augment his naval salary. In addition, she became the first Society Editor of the Desert Sun, writing under the byline, "Doing the Village with Moya Henderson" for which she received $5 an article. Later, she even had a radio spot for five minutes on Monday nights entitled "What's Doing In the Women's World".

After many years of running up and down hockey fields, Moya decided that she would get her Pupil Personnel credential for counseling. So she worked as the school registrar in the morning, taught P.E. in the afternoons and then drove to Redlands University to take night classes. She obtained her Masters in 1964. She was put in charge of Student Activities and then full time counseling until her retirement in 1977.

After Retirement Moya continued to be extremely active in her community, contributing in service organizations such as the Historical Society, Lions Club, American Association of University Women, and National Charity League. She participated in a host of other organizations for fun and fellowship.

Moya is survived by the families of her three sons; Joseph and Mary Alice, Richard and Linda, and C. Douglas and Susie Henderson and two daughters Steve and Moira Knox and Lary and Harriet Harris. In addition, she was blessed with watching her eight grandchildren grow into beautiful adults and seeing seven great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her beloved sister, Denise Walker, Sister-in-Law, two nieces and a nephew.

Services will be held at Saint Theresa Church October 17th at 1 pm. Attendees are requested to wear red, white and blue. Those wishing to remember Moya with a donation should give to the Joe and Moya Educational Scholarship with the Lion's Club or the Knights of Columbus at St. Theresa Church.