George H Henderson Jr, president of Angelina Hardwood Sales Co, died March 3, 2003, at his home in Lufkin TX after a long battle with cancer. After his death, Trailer/Body Builders magazine received this letter from T Lee Robinson of Overseas Hardwood Co, Mobile AL:
Dear Ms Tunnell:
It was a pleasure to talk to you today about our mutual friend, George Henderson Jr. Like you, I have known three generations of these fine Texas lumbermen. I know that you do not ordinarily publish a long obituary; however, I would like to express a few admirable things that come to mind about George. First of all, he had a perfectly successful life. He had a wonderful wife, Mary Martha, and five children. The oldest, Trey, runs Angelina Hardwood Sales Co, a successful long-term manufacturer of Apitong/Keruing truck trailer flooring. In fact, Angelina spearheaded the introduction of Apitong flooring to the truck trailer industry in the United States.
George Henderson Jr had a lifelong love affair with Lufkin TX and was a leader in numerous organizations in East Texas. He was chairman of the hospital board, bank board director, a trustee of Angelina College, and was elected to the Angelina County Board of Education, on which he served as chairman. George won the Ralph W Steen East Texan of the Year Award, which is given to someone who has had a major role in the organization's 12-county area.
An old friend of George Henderson Jr was Arthur Temple Jr, Temple Inland Co. He said it best: “A mighty oak tree has fallen in the forest.”
George was a Texan from head to toe, all 6'-7" of him. His character was of an earlier time where a man's word was his bond.
Very truly yours, T Lee Robinson