Danny Kirwin Henry, 76, beloved mother, wife, grandmother, great grandmother, friend and daughter, passed away peacefully in her Houston home on Tuesday, June 7, lifted by family and many friends in prayer and love. Danny’s profound faith and trust in our Lord Jesus Christ brought her great serenity and joy knowing God would wrap her in the Love and Peace of Eternal Life.
Danny was born on September 12, 1945 in Port Arthur, Texas to her loving parents, John Anthony Kirwin and Cora Lee Dannenberg Kirwin. Growing up an only child, she formed special bonds with friends, aunts, uncles and cousins the like. Danny never met a stranger which led to a very full social life beginning at Bishop Byrne High School where she was a cheerleader, to her years attending LSU in Baton Rouge, to belonging to multiple bridge groups in multiple cities—always inclusive, always the consummate hostess all the way to her last day. But Danny would tell you that her greatest accomplishment was giving birth to her precious baby girl, Gretchen. Danny cherished motherhood so much that she chose to become a teacher to ensure she and Gretchen could enjoy all summers and holidays together. An only child raised by another only child and single parent, undeniably proved to be the formula for the most extraordinary and unbreakable bond. They have been devoted to each other ever since. And as fate would have it, Danny did discover her true calling as a teacher spending the next thirty-three years teaching, mentoring and shaping the lives of her students - even staying in touch with quite a few long after her retirement.
Fate would visit Danny once again when she ran into her old acquaintance, Adam “Warren” Henry, Jr. Warren did not waste any time in asking Danny out for their first date. Several years later, Danny finally said “yes” and married the love of her life in March of 1988. We are certain it was Warren’s dancing ability that sealed the deal. They would enjoy dancing together for another 32 years until his passing in 2020. They loved their life in Port Arthur, both taking delight in giving and serving others. Until one day, after years of encouragement and possibly a very convincing power point presentation, Gretchen convinced Danny and Warren to pack it up and move to Houston to be closer to family in 2009.
To their delight, Danny and Warren would also find another new home in their Christ the Redeemer family. Danny quickly involved herself in many ministries including Eucharistic Ministry of Holy Communion, Ministry to the Sick, Rosary Circle, Divine Mercy Cenacle, Rosemary’s Bible Study, Friends in Need and Ladies Auxiliary to name a few. She was so pure of heart that it was easy for the Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church community to wrap their arms around her and never let go. She always looked forward to celebrating holidays and special events while entertaining loving family and friends in their home. Danny particularly found joy in dancing and traveling with Warren, playing cards, loving on her grand-dog, Norman, and had a ferocious love of reading.
Danny truly gifted all who knew her and leaves us with her beautiful legacy. Her delightful sense of humor present in every conversation was evident in her joyful laughter. She was a trusting and faithful friend, loyal in the way only a true friend can give support. Danny loved to talk about food, family, friends, faith and sometimes . . . politics. And that’s when the head-shaking and finger-wagging would begin! But never ever would she let a difference of opinion affect your relationship. Danny was the epitome of “we’ll just agree to disagree” – done. She was loving, caring, giving and gracious toward others under any circumstance and happy to share her wisdom, counsel, advice or support whenever needed.
Danny’s greatest impact on anyone who knew her however brief, was her purity of heart, her genuineness and sincere compassion, not to mention her profound, unwavering faith and trust in Our Gracious Lord, Jesus Christ. Danny’s strong faith made you, encouraged you and inspired you to be a better person, to be a more giving and forgiving heart, to grow and place your own faith and trust in Christ without question, to seek and read His word. One could not know Danny without feeling her total devotion to the Catholic Church, to God the Almighty.
But all that said, Danny’s most cherished blessing in her life on this earth was being Mom to her precious Gretchen. She devoted her life to her child in every way a mother could. She would forego on all personal luxuries to ensure her daughter had dance lessons, cheerleading uniforms and the like. But the richest gifts, Danny knew that she could give to Gretchen, would begin with teaching her that a deeply-rooted faith in the Catholic Church would sustain her through all that this life could ever unveil over time. Building on that solid faith foundation, Danny modeled independent thinking, choosing right over wrong, kindness, tolerance, acceptance, and most importantly, love. Danny loved nothing more than being a mother, a stepmother, a grandmother and a great-grandmother.
Danny is survived by her daughter, Gretchen E. Vaughan of Houston, TX; stepchildren: Adam W. Henry III (Shelley)-children, Allie, Jainie and Mallory-of Lafayette, LA; Darren K. Henry (Lara)-children, Noelle and Elise-of Austin, TX; Shawna Campbell (Cassidy)-children, Kya Howe (Clark)-child, Truett, Riley Taylor (Garrett), Avery, Cavanagh and Bethyn Campbell-of Katy, TX; Angelique Todar (Rainer)-children, Andrew, Eliana, Raina and Atalee-of Katy, TX; her grand-dog, Norman, and a host of wonderful, loving friends.
Visitation, Rosary and Funeral Mass will be held on Thursday, June 16, 2022 at Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church, 11507 Huffmeister Road, Houston, TX 77065. The Visitation will begin at 10:15 a.m., followed by the Rosary at 10:50 a.m. The Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 11:30 a.m., followed by a reception. Rite of committal will be held at 1:00 p.m., Friday, June 17, 2022, at Greenlawn Memorial Park; 3900 Twin City Hwy., Groves, TX 77619.
We want to express our utmost gratitude for the unmatched loving, compassionate care and support provided to Danny these last two months by MDAnderson’s numerous physicians, nurses, PCPs, those that provided food service and cleaned her room, the social workers, chaplains and priest; Fr. Sean and Fr. David; her 24/7 caregivers (aka Danny’s Angels)-Fannie and Jasmine; and her unwavering friends (aka Team Danny) and family – all of whom carried us through this difficult time.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution in Danny’s memory to Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church of Houston or St. James Catholic Church of Port Arthur.