HENDERSON, Clara Marguerite Thompson, 96, of Hopewell, Virginia, passed from this life to Glory on September 20, 2020, in Plantation, Florida, after a valiant battle with the COVID-19 virus. She was born February 1, 1924, in Greenbriar County, West Virginia, to Wyatt Whitman Thompson and Sarah Viola Jones Thompson. Affectionately dubbed by many family members as "Weet," she was the second of six children, of whom only her youngest sister, Betty June Thompson Alderson (John, deceased), survives. As a member of the Hopewell community for 62 years, Clara attended Virginia Commonwealth University and William and Mary University majoring in Child Development and Early Childhood Education while raising her four children. A pioneer among women entrepreneurs, she was the founder and director of Henderson's Child Development Center in Hopewell, Virginia, from 1960 until her retirement in 1986. She was instrumental in shaping state guidelines for education and childcare laws for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Clara was preceded in death by her parents; and her husband, Herman Allen Henderson Sr., to whom she was married for 57 years; sisters, Hazel Thompson LeMasters and Mina Thompson Shafer; and brothers, James Thompson ("Sonny") and Raymond Thompson ("Bud"). She leaves a large family to mourn her loss, including her children, Donna Jeanne Henderson Rogers (Stephen, deceased) of Pembroke Pines, Florida, Herman Allen Henderson Jr. (Peggy) of Hopewell, Virginia, George Wyatt Henderson (Melissa Dunn) of Chester, Virginia and James Alex "Jim" Henderson (Beth) of Hopewell, Virginia. She also leaves behind nine grandchildren, Kelli Rogers Michaels (Chris), Trey Henderson (Summers), Jimbo Henderson (Jennifer), Michael Henderson, Bobby Henderson (Katie), Meri Henderson Lawrence (Mario) and Marc Henderson, Sarah Beth Henderson Collins (Jeremi) and Alex Henderson. Clara was a proud great-grandmother of Jimmy and Hannah Michaels, Claytor, Corbin, Beau, Beckett, Robbie and Palmer Henderson and Theodore Lawrence. They and her many nieces and nephews will miss her wonderful reminiscences of Thompson family lore. She was a member of First Baptist Church of Hopewell, Virginia, for over 30 years and an active member of the congregation until her passing. Arrangements for a celebration of her life, with Pastor Darrell Boggs presiding, will be held at a date yet to be determined. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in her name to Hopewell Recreation and Parks Foundation, 100 West City Point Road, Hopewell, Va. 23860, with the notation "Respite Program" on the memo line; and/or the American Cancer Society.