Colin Henderson, a longtime religious leader and steward in Laguna Beach’s homeless community, died peacefully on July 26 in England.
Henderson, 87, had retired from helping lead Laguna’s Friendship Shelter in 2017.
His family said they will be arranging a celebration of his life. To stay informed, email thehendersonsjuly2022@gmail.com.
Henderson’s history in Laguna started in 1985 as a new Episcopalian priest at St. Mary’s. His superiors gave him a project: Work with the homeless.
Little did he know it would become a lifelong occupation.
“I thought I would do this for a couple years, perhaps, and then I’d get back to my ministry,” Henderson said in a 2017 L.A. Times interview. “And well, then I discovered that my ministry lay with working with homeless people.
“It was all pretty chaotic in the beginning, trying to make sure the church didn’t get burned down and things didn’t get out of hand.”
Henderson helped the homeless first by using St. Mary’s as a shelter, then he went on to start the Friendship Shelter.
Henderson’s impact in Laguna and Orange County was felt far and wide. In addition to his work at the Friendship Shelter and St. Mary’s, Henderson worked at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Irvine.
“I don’t talk to anyone associated with Friendship Shelter who wasn’t inspired … by Colin,” said Dawn Price, executive director, in the 2017 story. “It’s more than the work he did and the organizing he did. It’s his ability to listen to differing perspectives, gain people’s trust and then ultimately, it’s his love for the people we serve.”
His only regret was that Laguna never agreed on a permanent housing solution.
“I think probably my biggest disappoint is that we don’t have permanent supportive housing in Laguna, which we need to do,” he said. “As expensive and difficult as it will be to do in Laguna, we need to give it our best shot. There are a lot of very creative people here; I’m sure there is a way to do it.”
The family requests that if you want to make a donation, do it to the Friendship Shelter, “an organisation that was a significant part of Dad’s life and whose work meant so much to him.”
