[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 108 (Monday, June 29, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E627-E628]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF DAVID H. HENDERSON, JR.
______
HON. BRIAN BABIN
of texas
in the house of representatives
Monday, June 29, 2026
Mr. BABIN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the life and legacy of
David H. Henderson, Jr., a beloved husband, father, grandfather,
brother, Marine, attorney, and faithful servant of God whose life was
defined by service, integrity, humility, and love.
David Henderson dedicated his life to serving his country, his
community, and his family. While many knew him for his distinguished
career in the United States Marine Corps and the Department of Justice,
those closest to him knew him as something even greater, a devoted
husband and father, a trusted mentor, a man of deep faith, and someone
who quietly made the lives of others better every day.
Born to David H. Henderson, Sr., a retired United States Air Force
Major, and Florence Steciak Henderson, David grew up in Oklahoma,
earning the rank of Eagle Scout before graduating from Del City High
School. Even at a young age, he displayed the leadership that would
define his life, serving as president of both his junior and senior
classes and captain of the debate team.
David attended the University of Oklahoma on an ROTC scholarship,
where he excelled both academically and in the military. Upon earning
his bachelor's degree, he received the Marine Corps Sword as the top
Marine graduate in his class. Following Officer Candidate School, the
Marine Corps selected him to attend the University of Oklahoma College
of Law. There, he graduated with honors and was inducted into the
prestigious Order of the Coif, an honor reserved for the Nation's
finest law students.
Over the course of a distinguished twenty-year career in the United
States Marine Corps, David served as a military attorney, handling
numerous nationally significant cases. Among the most notable was his
representation of Sergeant Clayton Lonetree in the espionage case later
chronicled in Rodney Barker's Dancing with the Devil. Barker described
David as a laid-back Oklahoman who appeared more interested in hunting
and fishing than courtroom battles, cautioning readers that ``it was a
mistake to underestimate him.'' Beneath that easygoing demeanor was a
brilliant legal mind, sound judgment, and quiet confidence that earned
the admiration of colleagues and opponents alike.
David also successfully represented Douglas Beane, a Vietnam-era
serviceman who returned after two decades away in hopes of seeing his
dying father. Later, he represented a Marine captain at Guantanamo Bay
in a case that would eventually inspire the film A few Good Men.
In 1989, David was selected to serve as the military escort for James
Pierce, the brother of First Lady Barbara Bush, during the Presidential
inaugural festivities. He retired from the Marine Corps in 1990 as a
Major.
His commitment to justice did not end with military service. After
retiring from the Marine Corps, David became the first Public Defender
appointed to serve the City of Fredericksburg, Virginia, along with the
surrounding counties of Stafford, Spotsylvania, and King George. In
1992, he joined the Office of the United States Attorney under U.S.
Attorney Bob Wortham and faithfully served for two decades as an
Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas.
Yet David would have been the first to say that his greatest
accomplishments were never the titles he held or the cases he argued.
He believed deeply in hard work, personal responsibility, and
treating every person with dignity and respect. He had little interest
in accolades for their own sake. Instead, he measured success by the
quality of one's work, the strength of one's character, and the impact
one had on the lives of others. Those values guided every aspect of his
life.
Whether building a family home with his own hands, tending a garden,
caring for livestock, or mentoring his children, David believed that
anything worthwhile required effort. He taught his family that no job
was beneath them and that honest work, done well, was among life's
greatest virtues.
At the center of David's life was his beloved wife, Lois. He often
remarked that he was the luckiest man in the world and never quite
understood how someone as wonderful as Lois had chosen him. Their
marriage was marked by unwavering love, enduring friendship, steadfast
faith, and complete devotion. Together, they built a home filled with
laughter, compassion, and example, teaching their children and
grandchildren what a faithful and loving marriage looks like.
David also had a lifelong love for his Brittany bird dogs. He spent
countless hours
[[Page E628]]
hunting, training, and caring for them. Though the dogs did not always
share his enthusiasm for following instructions, they remained
treasured family members and brought him immeasurable joy.
In retirement, David devoted himself to serving others in new ways.
For eight years, he volunteered at the Gib Lewis Prison, counseling
inmates battling addiction and helping them find hope, purpose, and
redemption. He helped establish the Bridges to Life program under the
direction of Father Frank Rossi and became deeply involved in
restorative justice and prison ministry. In recognition of his
extraordinary volunteer service, the State of Texas honored him in
2020.
A devoted Catholic, David was an active member of Our Lady of the
Pines Catholic Church in Woodville, Texas. He faithfully served as a
SCAP minister, cantor, Eucharistic minister, lector, choir member, and
participated extensively in ACTS retreats and St. Maximilian Kolbe
Prison Retreats. As a Third Degree Knight of Columbus, he found
profound purpose in living out his faith through service.
Perhaps the simplest way to describe David Henderson is this: he
spent his life helping people.
Whether serving on the school board of his daughters' school,
defending a client, prosecuting a case, mentoring a child, comforting a
prisoner, serving his church, supporting his family, or simply
returning shopping carts in a parking lot because he thought it might
make someone else's day a little easier, David consistently chose
service over self.
He was preceded in death by his parents, David H. Henderson, Sr. and
Florence Steciak Henderson.
He is survived by his beloved wife, Lois Badeaux Henderson; his
daughters, Mary Henderson Grimes and her husband, Sean Grimes, of
Kingwood, Texas, and Anne Henderson of Paris, France; his stepdaughter,
Dr. Jessica Bergen and her husband, Dr. Edward Bergen, of Lake Charles,
Louisiana; his stepson, Michael DeJohn, Jr. and his wife, Aubrey
DeJohn, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; his cherished grandchildren, Olivia,
Sophia, and Emma Bergen; Lola and Sully Grimes; and Adler DeJohn; his
beloved sister, Jeanne Henderson; and countless extended family
members, friends, colleagues, parishioners, and former clients whose
lives were forever enriched by his kindness, wisdom, and guidance.
David Henderson leaves behind a legacy measured not simply by his
impressive professional accomplishments but by the countless lives he
touched through his example. He taught those around him to work hard,
think independently, serve generously, love deeply, and walk humbly
with God. His family takes comfort in knowing that the values he
embodied continue to live on in the generations that follow.
Mr. Speaker, our Nation is stronger because of Americans like David
H. Henderson, Jr.--men who quietly devoted their lives to faith,
family, justice, and service. His legacy will endure through the
countless people he mentored, the family he loved so deeply, and the
example he set for all who had the privilege of knowing him.
It is my honor to recognize his extraordinary life and ask that his
memory forever remain a source of inspiration to us all.
____________________