Former Dean of USC Keck School of Medicine, Director of the Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Distinguished Professor of the Department of Preventive Medicine; Beloved husband, loving father of five and grandfather of eleven On June 20, 2015, Dr. Brian E. Henderson passed away peacefully in the family's San Marino home after a 13 month battle with lung cancer. 

He was surrounded by his beloved wife, Judith, and his children and grandchildren. Brian is survived by his five children, Sean O' Brien Henderson, Maire Henderson Mullaly (husband Charles), Sarah Cathleen Henderson, Brian John Henderson (wife Jessica Hershorn), and Michael Clement Henderson (wife Katie DeLellis). Brian is also survived by his younger sister, Marjorie Hitzl, and 11 loving grandchildren, ranging in age from 22 years to 9 months. Brian was the second son of O'Brien Henderson and Antoinette Amstutz, born on June 27, 1937 in San Francisco, California. Brian's father, O'Brien Henderson emigrated from Ontario, Canada in 1921 to the San Francisco bay area. Brian's mother was born and raised in Napa, California. Brian and his siblings, Tony and Marjorie, grew up in San Leandro. Brian graduated from San Leandro High School in 1954, where he was President of the Science Club and center of the high school football team. 

Brian was an avid Giants and 49er's fan. His love for his San Francisco home teams was rivaled only by his love for USC football and his attendance at USC football games for over 40 years. Brian graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1957 with a major in English, and met his future bride Judith McDermott in 1960 while attending the University of California San Francisco Medical School. At the time, Judith was a stewardess for TWA stationed in San Francisco. The two were married on September 3, 1960 at Judith's home parish in Oak Park, Illinois. After the two were wed, Brian received his medical degree from the University of Chicago Medical School and completed his internship and residency at Massachusetts General Hospital. For the past 40 years, Brian and his wife Judith have made their home in San Marino. 

Brian had a great passion for family and loved to gather his family around him, particularly at the holidays. His favorite annual event was the family's Thanksgiving celebration at their home in Wawona, in Yosemite National Park. Brian greatly loved the outdoors and, as a young man, hiked the John Muir Trail. Since that time, he and Judith spent many beloved vacations at the family home in Yosemite. The two also traveled regularly to Maui and spent fall and winter vacations in Napili Kai. Brian and Judith, and their children, also spent several summers in County Kerry, Ireland in their much beloved town of Kenmare. In more recent years, the family has spent summers together at Kings Beach in North Tahoe. 

Brain and Judith have been active parishioners at their local parish, Holy Family Church, in South Pasadena, for over 30 years. Brian served as a Eucharistic Minister and Lector and regularly attended the church's auctions and parish fairs. It was at Holy Family that he and Judith continued their longtime friendship with Monsignor Clememt J. Connolly, who he and Judith first met in 1970 at a Marriage Encounter weekend. Brian helped Monsignor care for Cardinal Timothy Manning as the Cardinal battled cancer in 1989. Brian was able to meet Mother Teresa on her visit to the Norris to see the Cardinal just before he died. The Henderson family is grateful to Monsignor Connolly for his friendship and his visits to the Henderson family home especially during the last weeks of Brian's life.

Brian was also an active member of the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick for over 20 years. In 2007, Brian served as President of the Friendly Sons and in 2012 he was honored with the Friendly Sons' Medallion of Merit. Brian was very involved with the Catholic Worker focused on areas of social justice and service to the poor. Through this association he provided the first physician presence in a clinic that provided health services to the inhabitants of Skid Row.

Commensurate with Brian's passion for spending time with his family, was his passion and commitment to his work as a scientist. Brian began his career in medicine as a researcher in virology. As a young scientist, he ventured to Africa with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and spent three and a half years studying malaria and yellow fever in Uganda. He was also a member of the U.S. Delegation on Hemorrhagic Fevers to the Soviet Union in 1969 and traveled extensively in Asia, where he was part of the first official U.S. scientific delegation to the People's Republic of China. Beginning in the 1970s, as the scientific world turned its attention to the War on Cancer, Brian changed his research focus and helped lead the charge. Brian's battle against the disease brought him to the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine in 1970 as an associate professor of pathology.

Since coming to USC, Brian has held the Kenneth T. Norris Jr. Chair in Cancer Prevention, was the founding chair of the school's nationally ranked Department of Preventive Medicine, served as the first director of the Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, and was director of the Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center when it first opened in 1983. Brian also led the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in San Diego as its president from 1993 to 1995, returning to USC in 1996. In 1999, USC presented Brian with the Presidential Medallion, the university's highest honor, for his pioneering research and service to the university. Brian was inducted into the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences in 1992 and served as the president of the Society for Epidemiologic Research in the late 1990s. In 2004, he was one of the first scientific experts selected to the oversight committee for the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine — the state's stem cell research entity. He also served on the board of trustees for Children's Hospital Los Angeles. "A towering figure in American medicine, Dr. Henderson's contributions as a physician, scholar, and leader transformed our understanding of the hormonal basis of many human cancers, and led the way to effective medicines to prevent and treat cancer. He saved countless lives." (Dr. Stephen Gruber, current Director of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center.) Over the last 45 years, Brian has provided professional guidance and emotional support to countless family and friends struggling with the challenges of dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

The Henderson family welcomes those who have a story to share about the impact Brian has made on their lives to please visit the family's website, http://drbrianhenderson.com to share their story with others. In addition to flowers, and at Brian's request, donations may be made in his name to the Brian E. Henderson, M.D. Memorial Fellowship Fund. This fund will continue Brian's scientific work in the field of population genetics. Donations may be sent to USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center at 1441 Eastlake Avenue, Suite 8302, Los Angeles CA 90089 or at www.uscnorris.com/BrianHenderson. 

Celebrations of Brian's Life Thursday, June 25th 5:00 – 6:30 pm visitation Cabot & Sons, 27 Chestnut Street, Pasadena 91103 Friday, June 26th 11:00am Celebration of Life Liturgy Holy Family Church in South Pasadena Internment at San Gabriel Cemetery following the Reception in Connolly Hall