Shelter Island Reporter obituary: Delton Henry Houston Jr.

Delton Henry Houston, Jr., of Houston, Tex., passed away August 28, 2021, at the age of 81.

He is survived by Dana, his loving wife of 61 years; daughter Kelly Horn and her husband Gary, and her daughter Caroline Whitley, all of Houston, and son Stephen and his wife Mimi and their daughters Marley and Sadie, and son Miles, all of Old Greenwich, Conn; brothers Gary and his wife Beth of Little Rock, Ark; Richard and his wife Polly of El Segundo, Calif; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Henry was the quintessential family man. He did the best possible thing a man can do for his children, his family said — he loved their mother. He was the guiding light for his children, their moral compass, their mentor and the source of their inspiration and encouragement.

A lifelong Methodist and always a lay leader, Henry was a member of the board of stewards for Bellaire Methodist Church, Memorial Drive United Methodist Church and Chapelwood United Methodist Church.

During the past 30-plus years, as a member of Chapelwood, Henry served as treasurer and financial vice president; he was one of the founders of Chapelwood’s Foundation; he was on the foundation’s board for 18 years and was the foundation’s president for 13 years. Henry was also a key member of Chapelwood’s mentoring program at Northbrook High School.

He was a Life Member of Chapelwood’s Board of Stewards. Henry was a MYF counselor and a Sunday School teacher for more than 40 years.

Born on Jan 20, 1940, in Hope, Ark. to Delton Henry Houston, Sr. and Margaret Magness Houston, Henry graduated from Little Rock Central High School in 1958 as a member of the famous “integration class.” Henry and Dana married in 1960 while he was a student at the University of Arkansas, from which he graduated in 1962 with a major in accounting.

Shortly thereafter Henry and Dana moved to Houston when he accepted an offer from the accounting firm Price Waterhouse where he worked as a CPA.

Following his time with Price Waterhouse, his entrepreneurial spirit led him to serve in various positions such as controller, chief financial officer and president for a variety of public and private companies. Additionally, Henry was a member of the board of directors for five companies.

Not only was Henry a leader in his church and in business, but he also served his community in several different ways, one being a 35-year member of the Bunker Hill Village Board of Adjustment.

Over the past many years Henry always looked forward to the summers he would spend with his children and grandchildren on Shelter Island where he helped create memories for his family that will last a lifetime.

Henry’s ashes will be spread at the Snell Cemetery in Emmet, Ark, where five generations of his family rest in peace.