Jan 12, 2022

Mary Louise Engle Henderson, 96, formerly of Weirton, W.Va., died Sunday, January 9, 2022, in Newark, Ohio.

She was born February 2, 1925, in Washington, Pennsylvania, to the late Glenn and Helen Davis Engle. She was a 1943 graduate of Trinity High School, and was a clerk for the City of Washington, Water Department, upon graduation until her marriage to George R. Henderson in 1947.

The couple moved to Weirton, W.Va., where they resided for the next several decades.

While in Weirton, Louise was a member of the Weirton Women’s Club, the Pleasant Valley Country Club, Cove United Presbyterian Church, where she served on the Board of Trustees, and was president of the Women’s Association, and a past president of the Weirton Memorial Hospital Women’s Auxiliary. She also was active for many years in the Millsop, Edgewood, Follansbee, and Brooke High Schools PTAs, and was a leader for both Camp Fire Girls and Girl Scouts.

The couple retired to Sun Lakes, Arizona, in 1987. Louise actively participated in many clubs and organizations in the retirement community, including golf, cards, bingo, and line dancing.

She was a remarkable seamstress; her creations over the years clothed us and decorated our homes. During retirement her signature creation was teddy bears; she made and gave away more than 150 of them to family and friends.

Louise also was the author of a cookbook featuring more than 100 multi-generational recipes that also included anecdotal stories for each entry; her red velvet cake was the centerpiece of many celebrations. Louise believed that every dish was an edible “I love you.”

In September 2019, Louise “gave up housekeeping” and moved to Ohio to live with her daughter, Lori and her family, and resided there until her death.

Louise and George celebrated 61 years of marriage prior to his passing.

She is survived by their daughters, Carol Henderson and Denise Tucker, of Sun Lakes, Arizona, and Lori (John) Mazzone, of Newark, Ohio; eight grandchildren, Jennifer (David) Breen, Aimee (Kyle) Aldous, Melissa (Rob) Donaldson, Bobbie Lynn (Brandon) Repp, Nicholas Mazzone, Jessica Mazzone, Christine (Stephen) Travis, and Mitchell Mazzone; and six great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her siblings, Robert Glenn Engle, Jr., Joseph Engle, Helen Marie McCullough, Marjorie Dale Polen, and Donald Engle.

She is survived by siblings, Betty Jean Andrew, Lois Shaw, and Fredrick Engle; as well as many nieces and nephews.

She will be buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, alongside her husband, following family memorial services in Washington, and Sun Lakes, Ariz.

She will be deeply missed and joyfully remembered as a true matriarch of our family. She connected us all.

Thanks for just being you and loving us like you did. To which we know you would say, “love you more.”