Elizabeth Ann Walker Henry

November 30, 1948 – July 5, 2023

Ann was born on November 30, 1948 in Bellville, Texas to R.L. Walker, Jr. and Mabel Saltzman Walker. She spent her early childhood in Hempstead, then Kemah, Texas, and remained a proud Texan all her life, despite her Cajun roots. Her family moved to the Philippines in 1957 where her father was stationed by the Air Force. Upon returning to the U.S. in 1958, her family moved to Little Rock Air Force Base, Jacksonville, Arkansas where she spent the rest of her youth, graduating from Mount St. Mary Academy in Little Rock in 1967. Ann married Kirby Henry in 1969, then moved to Lake Charles where she was working. A short time later, she and Kirby moved to Wright, Louisiana where they remained and raised their family. Over the years, Ann owned a bakery called “I Knead the Dough” where she baked wonderful creations and catered small events. In 2009 she was awarded “Woman of the Year” by the Kaplan Chamber of Commerce for her tireless work on many successful projects. During that time, she worked as Activities Director at Heritage Manor Nursing Home, while also operating Kaleidoscopes Educational Workshops where she was certified to train activity therapists in Alzheimer’s programs. Ann later enjoyed working as docent at Le Musee’, the Kaplan Museum. She particularly loved her work there where she would meet new people, enjoy the featured artist’s creations, and share her knowledge of local history.
Ann was kind, generous and compassionate; an artistic and curious person who enjoyed culture and learning new things. One of her favorite pastimes was watching Jeopardy and playing along -- she was pretty good. She was a loyal friend, selfless, and helped all those she could, even if it was just to lend a listening ear. She had a good sense of humor, and enjoyed people, and good conversation. For several years, her love of writing led her to publish her articles in Bonnes Nouvelles, a local newspaper. She also enjoyed traveling, having visited many states, Italy and Costa Rica. Her last trip was to Tacoma, Washington earlier this year.
She is survived by her husband, Kirby Henry; children, Caroline Henry, Mandy Henry, and Lee Henry (Linda Denais); sisters, Cecelia Walker Soderberg (Bob) and Barbara Walker Sandoz (Tommy LeBlanc); mother-in-law, Laura Mae Saltzman Henry; brother-in-law, Farley Henry; nieces and nephews, Penny Saltzman Vincent (Ronald) and their children, Jagger and Averi; Eric Soderberg (Laurie Oppel), Sonja Soderberg Quaintance; Paige Quaintance Minges (Derek) and their children, Maggie, Keller, and Jett; Jessica Petry Cooper (Ben) and their children, Grant and Lauren Grace; grandchildren, Quinn Guidry, Olivia Durand, Jackson Tisdall, Kari Caldwell (Craig) and their children, Easton and Raelyn.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Richard Lankston Walker, Jr. and Mabel Saltzman Walker; grandparents, Richard Lankston Walker, Sr. and Ella Guidry Walker, Isaac Saltzman and Agnes Frieu Saltzman; father-in-law, Leroy Henry; sister-in-law, Kathy Henry Mouton; and many other beloved family and close friends.
A Memorial Mass will be held at St. David Chapel, Kaplan, Louisiana, on Saturday, August 12, 2023 at 9 a.m. and a Celebration of Life immediately following at St. David’s Hall, next door to the church.
Donations in Ann’s memory may be made to: Mount St. Mary Academy (MSM Foundation 3224 Kavanaugh Blvd. Little Rock, AR 72205 or online: https://mtstmary.edu/support-msm/give-now), or to the Breast Cancer Society, Kaplan Museum, St. David Chapel, or a favorite charity.
Special thanks to Vincent Funeral Home for their kind assistance to the family.