Dorothy Mae Henderson, 87, of Austin, Texas, passed away peacefully on February 12, 2026, at her home in the Mueller neighborhood, surrounded by her family.
Born Dorothy Mae Perkins on June 14, 1938, in Temple, Texas, she graduated from Temple High School in 1956 and earned a bachelor's degree in education from Southwest Texas State Teachers College (now Texas State University) in 1960. She taught third grade in the Round Rock Independent School District for 28 years before retiring in 1988.
Dorothy was among the first residents to move to Mueller when the neighborhood opened in 2008, purchasing a home on Tower Street at the age of 70. "Everyone said I was too old to move to a new neighborhood," she told friends. "I told them I was too old not to." She became a fixture of the community, founding the Mueller Garden Club in 2010, volunteering at the Thinkery children's museum, and serving two terms on the Mueller Neighborhood Association board.
She is survived by her son, Michael Henderson (Linda) of Houston; her daughter, Karen Henderson-Price (Robert) of Austin; four grandchildren: Sarah, James, Emily, and Thomas; and two great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband of 52 years, Walter James Henderson, in 2014, and her brother, Robert Perkins, in 2019.
A celebration of life will be held Saturday, February 22, at 2 p.m. at Cook-Walden Chapel of the Hills, 9700 Anderson Mill Road, Austin, TX 78750. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Mueller Garden Club, c/o Mueller Neighborhood Association, or to Meals on Wheels Central Texas.
Arrangements are under the direction of Cook-Walden Funeral Home, 512-345-2400, cookwaldenchapelofthehills.com.