Joanne M. Henderson, of Montpelier, Vt., passed away at Central Vermont Hospital on January 1, 2026, with her loving sons, Chip and Marshall, by her side. Also present was Pamela Root, her close friend. The family would like to thank the many other friends who were of such great support during a difficult time.
Joanne was born on July 3, 1932, in Vandergrift, Pa., to Russell Mohney and Ruth Adams Mohney. She once described her childhood and teenage years there as idyllic.
On May 3, 1958, Joanne married Graham Henderson, also from Vandergrift. They had a son Chip and moved to Montpelier in 1964 when Graham accepted a position at National Life Insurance. Their son Marshall was born soon afterwards.
Before marriage, she worked for TWA Airlines in Philadelphia. In Montpelier, Joanne volunteered at the Kellogg Hubbard Library, where she met many close friends. She also enjoyed knitting, and she made countless prayer shawls for those in need of a warm hug. Tennis was her sport of choice, and in 1973, Joanne won the doubles Labor Day Tennis Tournament in Montpelier. She was an avid reader and was primarily interested in fiction.
Those who knew her well are aware that she loved to hear and learn about the lives of others far more than she wanted to talk about herself. An endearing nickname from her son Marshall was “Curious George.”
Joanne was preceded in death by her husband, Graham Henderson; her parents, Russell and Ruth Mohney; and her sister, Ruth Mohney.
Joanne is survived by her sons, Chip Henderson (Leslie Kriebel) of Stow, Mass., and Marshall Henderson of Montpelier, Vt.; and her special nephew and niece, Tom Wehe (Kris) of Monroe, Wash., and Hilary Zerbe of Seattle, Wash.
Arrangements are in the care of Guare & Sons Funeral Home of Montpelier, Vt.
Burial will take place at the Green Mount Cemetery in Montpelier, Vt., on January 8, 2026, at 1 p.m.
This article appears in January 7 • 2026.