Obituary of William Lecil Henderson, II

William Lecil Henderson II, 62, passed away suddenly on November 22, 2020. Lecil was born on June 11, 1958, in Charlotte, the son of Lecil and Ruth Henderson. He was a graduate of Charlotte Country Day and Wake Forest University.

After graduation from Wake Forest, Lecil returned to Charlotte, married his wife Kathryn, and raised two sons and a daughter. Lecil was proud to be a Charlotte native, and he loved his city passionately. Over the years, Lecil participated in and led many community activities, including serving as president of Leadership Charlotte and as president of the Historic Properties Commission. He also served as a deacon at his church, Myers Park Presbyterian. He enjoyed coaching his children in sports, and he was always up for chaperoning a field trip or a camping expedition. Lecil loved to travel, especially with his family, and he had a particular love for the North Carolina mountains. In recent years, he enjoyed renting houses in the North Carolina mountains, at the beach, and in Charleston, SC, where the whole family could stay, gathering for long dinners and hours of conversation and laughter.

Lecil began his career in jewelry in high school, assisting his father. Eventually, in 1990, Lecil founded the Henderson Collection by Lecil. Owning a small business is a time-consuming venture, and Lecil put his heart and soul into building the business from scratch into a well-established company known throughout the jewelry industry. He was a highly innovative designer, creating extensive collections of hand-crafted, customizable pieces, including his groundbreaking and unique colored golds and enamels, which became instant best-sellers. He delighted in putting the perfect piece of jewelry into a customer’s hands. Not only did he make sure to provide the stores he dealt with incredible personalized service, but he got to know many of their customers, many of whom collected his pieces, and extended his care to them. The jewelry industry is a tight-knit community, and Lecil not only made numerous friends but worked tirelessly to improve the state of the industry. He was a founding member and board member of Luxury by JCK, a founding member of Centurion Show, a board member of the Centurion Show by Invitation Only, a Southern Jewelry Travelers Association member, a NC Jewelers Association member, an Alabama Jewelers Association member, a 24K Club of Southern California member, and a 24K Club Southeastern United States board member and member.

Lecil is survived by his wife, Kathryn Harrill Henderson; sons, William Henderson and Andrew Henderson; daughter, Elizabeth Henderson; sister, Sherry Henderson; sister-in-law, Myra Harrill Childers; nephew, David Rackley; and many, many friends. He was predeceased by his parents, Lecil and Ruth Henderson.

A service to celebrate Lecil’s life will be held at a later date, when it is safe for all his loved ones and friends to gather. Donations in Lecil’s name may be made to A Child’s Place, a Charlotte-based organization which works to erase the impact of homelessness on children and their education.

Feel free to leave the family your condolences via the Tribute Wall provided.