Terral "Terry" Henderson

Courageous, hardworking, and selfless as they come, Terral Henderson truly lived his life to the very fullest. His steadfast, comforting nature could make anyone feel safe and loved, and there was nothing that brought Terry greater joy than spending time with his family and friends. Greatly missed, Terry will be forever cherished by those who knew him best.

As World War II was nearing its end, Terral and Marion Henderson of Detroit, Michigan, were celebrating the arrival of their son. Named after his father, Terral Robert was born on February 1, 1943.

Growing up in Hazel Park, Michigan, Terry was a typical boy of his generation. He was the only child of the Henderson family until the age of 13, when he became an older brother to his siblings, Debbie and John. Throughout his formative years, Terry had a group of close friends that roamed around the neighborhood, just like the Little Rascals. He and his family enjoyed camping on their land on the East side of the state. They once survived a tornado while camping by clinging to the center pole of their tent! Terry was involved in the Boy Scouts and eventually claimed the honor of becoming an Eagle Scout.

Terry attended Hazel Park High where he excelled as both an athlete and a musician. Terry was on the swim and wrestling teams, even making it to the wrestling state finals. He played trumpet in the band and discovered a passion for jazz and played in the pep band. After graduating from Hazel Park High School in 1961, Terry found work in the auto industry before enlisting in the United States Marine Corps just one year later. He was shipped out to San Diego.

Terry went on to serve on active duty with the Marine Corps until 1966. He was trained as a primary marksmanship instructor thanks to his exceptional skill and was responsible for training Marines headed out to serve in Vietnam, a duty he took very seriously. Terry once hurled a rock at a recruit who was afraid of a rifle’s recoil, promising that he would hurt him worse than the gun would, to incentivize the recruit to stop being afraid of the weapon. He was awarded the Battalion Meritorious Mast for outstanding performance training 347 recruits in 1965 with 89.9% of them qualifying in the last quarter. Part of Terry’s enlistment was spent overseas in Japan. Throughout his service, he logged about 50,000 miles at sea and was a part of the naval force that circled Cuba during the Missile Crisis. During the 1960s, Terry also lifeguarded in California and locally in Michigan, fully embracing the Beach Boys era of pop culture.

Even after Terry’s service ended, he remained involved with the WMU Veteran’s Association while attending Western Michigan University. He worked hard to earn his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. It was around this time that he met and married his first wife, Maxine. The two soon brought their daughter, Julie, into the world. Terry’s marriage came to an end, but he was determined to be a present father for his little girl. When Julie moved with her mother to Grand Rapids, Terry drove an hour each way in any weather at least once a week just to spend time with her. He never missed Julie’s soccer games or orchestra concerts.

After college, Terry stepped into the business world with a job selling golf carts in North Carolina. He continued to work in sales after returning to Michigan. While running the Detroit Free Press Marathon, Terry met a fellow runner whose family was connected to Little Caesars Pizza. He ended up with a meeting with the founder, Mike Ilitch, which led to Terry opening his first Little Caesar’s franchise in Kalamazoo in 1981. Eventually, he would grow to have 16 locations, with his Kalamazoo locations having the highest sales in the nation for multiple years. Terry’s reputation for going his own way on the franchise rules earned him the nickname of “Maverick” by the Ilitch family. He also opened Big Apple Bagels, Qdoba Mexican Grill, The Wine Loft, and Smashburger locations in West Michigan as well. Throughout his 30 year career, Terry opened more than 30 restaurants. He was well-respected by his employees and treated each worker with the kindness and dignity they deserved.

Not to be forgotten was the moment Terry met Jeannie, who was working at his first Little Caesars franchise. The two grew to be close friends, and a relationship blossomed. With the desire to spend the rest of their lives together, Terry and Jeannie got engaged on Jeannie’s birthday and were married on Terry’s birthday in 1986. They eventually welcomed their son, Travis, into the world. Terry couldn’t wait for his son to get involved in Boy Scouts and camping. The family enjoyed many camping adventures with the Scouts and across the state. Terry and Jeannie were a perfect match, in life and in business. In 2015, they bought a house cleaning business and renamed it Jeannie Cleaning. Even when he stepped back from leadership himself, Terry supported Jeannie from behind the scenes, running the household and caring for their dogs. The two also loved finding great restaurants, scuba diving, snorkeling, and traveling the world together.

Jeannie had been raised in the Christian faith and Terry was drawn to being included in that part of her life. While his daughter was away carrying on his legacy by serving in the Marine Crops. Terry accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior and became a devoted man of faith. His example led his daughter to do the same, bringing their family even closer together. Terry’s family was undoubtedly his greatest treasure. Despite being allergic to pets, he loved being a pet-dad and always had cats and dogs in the home, and he adored his "granddog" as well.

A man of many interests, Terry was an avid runner and fitness enthusiast. Suggesting nutritional supplements to everyone he knew was a regular occurrence and they were a common stocking stuffer in the family. Terry enjoyed shopping, and he had an impeccable taste for fashion. He loved all kinds of music, from jazz, Motown, pop, and rock to contemporary Christian music. He grew up just a few miles from where Motown began. In his younger years, he often hung out in coffee houses to listen to jazz and was surprised to see the trumpet master, Miles Davis, playing one day. Terry was deeply connected to his Scottish heritage. He attended the local Scottish festival often and Jeannie went so far as to buy a one square-foot plot of land in Scotland that earned him the title of “Lord.” Terry was the family prankster, and he loved comedy and slapstick films. He was known to laugh so hard it would bring him to tears.

All who knew and loved Terral Henderson were touched by his compassionate, generous spirit. He served as a powerful role model of faithfulness and integrity, unafraid to stand up for what he knew was right, and as a devoted husband and father, Terry led his family with strength and wisdom. Although he will be so missed, Terry leaves behind a priceless legacy to be carried on in his footsteps.

Terry Henderson of Kalamazoo, age 83, died on September 10, 2026. He was born February 1, 1943, in Detroit to Terral and Marion Henderson. He was preceded in death by his parents; his sister Debbie Podany; and his brother John Henderson. Surviving are his wife, Jeannie; children: Julie (Aaron Beagle) Henderson-Beagle and Travis Henderson; sisters-in-law: Debbie (Dave) Brown and Sue (Jeff) Henshaw; brothers-in-law: Richard (Anne) Homrich and Steve (Nancy) Homrich; and many nieces and nephews.

Please join us for a Life Story Service on Saturday, September 19, at 11 AM at Betzler Life Story Funeral Homes, 6080 Stadium Drive, Kalamazoo (269) 375-2900. A reception will follow in the Life Story Center where food, drinks, and stories will be shared. A private burial will be held at Fort Custer National Cemetery. Celebrate Terry’s life online by sharing your favorite stories and photos on his dedicated webpage at BetzlerLifeStory.com. Memorial contributions may be made to Cleaning For A Reason and Tunnel To Towers Foundation.