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Above: Angelo Henderson enjoys tributes in October 2012 from the National Association of Black Journalists' local chapter. (Photo by Paula Bridges)
Visitation is this weekend for Rev. Angelo Henderson, a widely admired Detroit broadcaster and civic figure who died Feb. 15 of natural causes at age 51.
Respects can be paid from noon to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Swanson Funeral Home's northwest Detroit chapel, 14751 W. McNichols. Dozens of condolences are posted at its public guest book.
"The outpouring of condolences has been immense and welcomed," his wife, Felecia Henderson, posts on Facebook. "Stories about Angelo, his work and his meaning to Detroit are comforting and uplifting." The family is creating an Angelo B. Henderson Memorial Fund, with details expected soon.
The funeral is at 11 a.m. Monday at the 4,000-seat Greater Grace Temple, 23500 W. 7 Mile Rd. in Detroit. Interment follows at Woodlawn Cemetery.
"Angelo left an indelible mark on Detroit and all who had the good fortune to spend any time with him," Police Chief James Craig says in an essay posted by WDIV. "Angelo was more than a radio personality. He was a community activist, minister, a family man. . . . Angelo had a big heart and he will be missed by many."
Henderson, who became an ordained minister in 2003 served as an associate pastor at Hope United Methodist Church in Southfield and most recently as an assistant minister at Triumph Church in Detroit. (Photo via WXYZ)
The former newsman and citizens' patrol group co-founder is best-known as the host of "Your Voice," a public affairs show on WCHB-AM from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. each weekday. "We became friends after spending time on the air together," Chief Craig writes.
"Angelo was a heart and soul person," former Detroit News colleague Luther Keith writes in another tribute post. "He didn't just pass through life; he carried and lifted people with him. His passion for Detroit ran deep." Keith, executive director of a civic group named ARISE Detroit!, was a weekly guest on the radio talk show. .
Henderson was born in Louisville and moved to Oakland, Calif., as a teen. He earned a journalism degree 1985 from the University of Kentucky and was a member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.
A two-decade newspaper career included a 1999 Pulitzer Prize for feature writing while at the Wall Street Journal's Detroit bureau. Henderson became an ordained minister in December 2003 under Pastor Charles G. Adams of Hartford Memorial Baptist Church in Detroit, where he had been a deacon since 1999. Rev. Henderson served as an associate pastor at Hope United Methodist Church in Southfield and more recently as an assistant minister at Triumph Church in Detroit.
In addition to his wife, a Detroit News assistant managing editor, survivors include 20-year-old son Grant Henderson -- described as "an aspiring sports agent and NBA star" at his dad's website.
Henderson died at his Pontiac home last Saturday morning from natural causes, according to the Oakland County Medical Examiner's office. Deputies performed CPR after being called to the family's Pontiac home around 9:45 a.m. Saturday, the sheriff's department says in a statement that adds: "According to his wife, he had complained of shortness of breath the previous night and had other medical conditions."
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