PHILIPPA “POPSY” BUTLER HENDERSON
Philippa “Popsy” Butler Henderson, daughter of General Frederick and Phillipi Harding Butler of San Francisco, has died at the age of 69. She passed away peacefully on October 5, 2004 with her family at her side at Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose after a long illness.She was a resident of Los Altos for 42 years.Born in West Point, NY, she graduated from Villa Duchesne High School in St. Louis, MO and received an A.B. in History from Stanford University in 1956. It was at Stanford where she met her husband, Robert J. Henderson. They married in 1956.Popsy was a member in the Junior League of Palo Alto, the El Camino Hospital Auxiliary and the St. Simon’s Parish in Los Altos. She was a past member at the Palo Alto Hills Country Club, and most recently, the Saratoga Country Club, where she was active in the ‘Ladies Nine Hole Group’.In addition to her husband, she is survived by her daughters Kathleen Sesnon of Mercer Island, WA and Mary ‘Mimi’ Henderson of Piedmont; her sons Robert Henderson of Hollister, R. Philip Henderson of Sacramento and Charles Henderson of Redwood City; her brother William Butler of Colorado; her sister Patricia Riordon of San Francisco. She is also survived by nine grandchildren.No services are planned. A celebration of her life will be held at a later date.
JAMES TIPTON BARNES
James T. Barnes, 80, died Friday, October 1, 2004 of a stroke in Albany, New York. Jim was born February 1, 1924 in Brownstown, Indiana, and lived in Los Altos, CA for 39 years. Jim is survived by his wife, Doris Fessler Barnes of Albany and Los Altos; his children, Leslie Barnes Carson (Eric), of Dayton, Ohio; James T. Barnes Jr. (Cindy) of Los Gatos, California; Doris’ sons Rick Hancock and Bruce Hancock, and five grandchildren. Jim is also survived by his brother, Robert C. Barnes, his sister, Tallulah B. Bung, and their families. Jim was preceded in death by his first wife, Nancy Rodecker Barnes, in 1991.Jim Barnes was a man of his generation. At 19, after completing his freshman year at Purdue University, he enlisted in the Army and became a P-51 Mustang pilot in the Army Air Corp’s 41st Fighter Squadron. Among his many decorations and awards are the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with Four Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Korean Presidential Unit Citation. He earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in electrical engineering from Purdue, where he was a member of Phi Kappa Psi. Jim served in the Air Force for 22 years, with tours of duty at the Naval Academy, the Pentagon, Space Systems Division in Los Angeles, and Andrews Air Force Base, retiring as Lieutenant Colonel in 1965.Upon his USAF retirement, Jim was recruited by Lockheed Missiles and Space, and moved his family from Virginia to Los Altos, California. He retired from Lockheed in 1991. In 1992, he married the former Doris Fessler, a life-long friend of Nancy’s and Jim’s. Jim and Doris attended their 50th reunion at Shortridge High School in Indianapolis as husband and wife, surprising all in attendance.In their twelve years of marriage, Jim and Doris split their time between Albany and Los Altos, and traveled around the world. They visited nearly every European country, Scandinavia, the Far East, New Zealand and Australia, as well as much of the U.S.Though many who knew Jim casually have described him as tough, he was a sensitive man who loved nature, dogs, Japanese art, historical reading, beach walks, weather tracking, a good laugh and above all, his family. In retirement, he pursued watercolor painting, Japanese brush painting and tutoring elementary students in reading. Jim rode his bike until the day he died.A memorial service will be held at Christ Episcopal Church in Los Altos, on Monday November 8, 2004 at 3:30 PM, and he will be interred in the church’s columbarium.Jim Barnes was a dearly loved man and will be missed by many. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the cancer research organization of your choice.
