A Lifelong Commitment Through Care and Planned Giving

Rodney “Rod” Ward Henderson and his wife, Sandra, moved from Nebraska to the Wheat Ridge, Colorado area in 1963. Rodney left his teaching profession in 1967 and went to work in the HVAC industry. He eventually started his own HVAC company, Action Air Inc., and retired in 1996. Sandra worked as a school teacher for a short time, until she and Rodney started their family — two sons and their daughter, who passed away when she was 5 years old. They always considered Lutheran their community hospital.

For over six years, Sandra volunteered with Lutheran Hospice when care was provided in the hospital, before Collier Hospice Center was built. It was through Sandra’s volunteer work that she really gained her appreciation and passion for the hospice program. Because of her dedication and commitment to Lutheran, it was only natural that Rodney would receive care from their community hospital, Lutheran, when he began having heart problems. He was treated several years by Lutheran’s cardiac program. The Henderson family continued to be impressed by the outstanding patient care Rodney received. In Rodney’s final days, he was cared for by Lutheran Home Hospice until he peacefully passed away at Collier Hospice Center on March 13, 2018. Sandra and Rodney were married for 59 years and have two grandchildren.

Sandra couldn’t think of a better way to memorialize her husband than through an endowment and planned gift. In December of 2019, Sandra contributed $25,000, which was matched by the Lutheran Foundation matching program, and established the Henderson Family Endowment Fund to provide hospice care support at Collier Hospice Center. Sandra most recently became re-engaged with Lutheran and showed her support for the LMC Foundation at the 2019 White Rose Evening, which she attended with her son and sister. In addition to their Endowment gift, the Henderson family made a $100,000 bequest to Collier Hospice Center in January of 2020. “I wanted to honor my husband and help hospice. I hold Lutheran Medical Center as a very warm place in my heart, for all of the amazing care he received. I wanted others to have a peaceful way to pass.”

Uncover the Power of Giving Back

A planned gift to Lutheran Medical Center Foundation is a meaningful way to honor a life and create a lasting legacy that impacts patients and their families for years to come. Contact us to learn more today.