Caroline Anne Henry-Gross
May 28, 1949 ~ August 10, 2021
In Loving Memory of C. (Caroline) Anne Henry-Gross
May 28, 1949 – August 10, 2021
Anne Henry-Gross shared her immense love and warmth with everyone who touched her life including her family, students, fellow faculty, and fellow parishioners. She was known as “Mrs. H-G” to her students and devoted over 40 years of her life to her vocation of teaching.
Anne was born on May 28,1949 in Manchester, New Hampshire. The hospital voted her the most beautiful baby ever born there and that beauty, within and without, continued up to the day she left us. Anne loved all creatures great and small from a young age: tiny ladybugs, hairy spiders, Komodo dragons, and cats to a pet alligator she had to donate to the local zoo when it grew too large for the family bathtub. She even traded her baby sister to a friend for a pair of rabbits (luckily for her sister, that deal fell through). Anne taught herself to read, despite having dyslexia. Her natural artistic ability led her to work as a graphic artist and assistant supervisor for the Graphic Arts Department at the then-named Chesapeake & Potomac Phone Company.
She had a fabulous sense of curiosity and adventure which led her to San Jose, CA for a Canonical Year of Novitiate for study and prayer with the Carmelite Sisters of Charity. There she served as Director of Religious Education for kindergarten through adult. She recruited and trained volunteer staff and developed a sacramental preparation program with parent involvement and for adults/adult convert training. She started her teaching career at Our Lady of Grace School in Castro Valley, CA, teaching religion, art, history, science, and reading in primary school through 8th grade. She continued her teaching career in the Archdiocese of Washington at St. Frances de Sales Junior High School in Southeast D.C.
She and her late husband ran a foster home in Silver Spring, MD at the Kemp Mill Specialized Group Foster Home for Abused Teenagers, and later were youth and family minsters at Holy Apostles Church in Colorado Springs, CO. She returned to teaching multiple subjects at the Holy Redeemer Junior High School in the Archdiocese of Washington and then for the Diocese of Arlington at Queen of Apostles School in Alexandria, VA. She found her teaching home at Paul VI High School in Fairfax, VA in 1995, where she practiced her teaching talents through a variety of courses in religion and history, including her development of the Senior elective religion courses on Death and Dying and Salesian Spirituality, as well as other courses in the Theology and History departments. She strongly believed in the principles of Salesian Spirituality and applied them to her own spiritual life and shared it with her students in her roles as a teacher and as a club moderator.
Anne loved cooking and spread that love by teaching a course on cooking gourmet foods and by gifting any in need with her delicious baked goods as an expression of her generosity and caring. She loved teaching and helping people of all ages and put that love into her volunteer work and active involvement at every school where she taught. While at Paul VI this included working with a pilot program for teen participation in a hospice program, moderator for Key Club, Salesian leadership Club, SADD, PVI Service Corps, and more.
Following the 2020 passing of Donald, her husband of forty years, Anne leaves behind her daughter Caroline and cat Fifi; her siblings, including brother Edgar Crill Henry Jr. (Chip), sister Evelyn Anderson, and half-brother Alan Beck; niece and nephews Christopher Henry, Justin Anderson, Lydia Anderson, Evan Anderson, and their spouses; and eight grandnieces and grandnephews. She will be missed greatly and remembered in the hearts of her family and friends for her generosity, curiosity, kindness, vibrant personality, enthusiasm, and impish sense of humor.
A funeral mass will take place on Friday, September 3rd, 2021 at 1:00 PM at Saint John Neumann Catholic Church located at 11900 Lawyers Road in Reston, Virginia. The family respectfully asks that all who choose to attend wear a mask and practice social distancing. The service will also be offered virtually through the SJN website.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Anne’s name to Catholic Charities USA.
May 28, 1949 – August 10, 2021
Anne Henry-Gross shared her immense love and warmth with everyone who touched her life including her family, students, fellow faculty, and fellow parishioners. She was known as “Mrs. H-G” to her students and devoted over 40 years of her life to her vocation of teaching.
Anne was born on May 28,1949 in Manchester, New Hampshire. The hospital voted her the most beautiful baby ever born there and that beauty, within and without, continued up to the day she left us. Anne loved all creatures great and small from a young age: tiny ladybugs, hairy spiders, Komodo dragons, and cats to a pet alligator she had to donate to the local zoo when it grew too large for the family bathtub. She even traded her baby sister to a friend for a pair of rabbits (luckily for her sister, that deal fell through). Anne taught herself to read, despite having dyslexia. Her natural artistic ability led her to work as a graphic artist and assistant supervisor for the Graphic Arts Department at the then-named Chesapeake & Potomac Phone Company.
She had a fabulous sense of curiosity and adventure which led her to San Jose, CA for a Canonical Year of Novitiate for study and prayer with the Carmelite Sisters of Charity. There she served as Director of Religious Education for kindergarten through adult. She recruited and trained volunteer staff and developed a sacramental preparation program with parent involvement and for adults/adult convert training. She started her teaching career at Our Lady of Grace School in Castro Valley, CA, teaching religion, art, history, science, and reading in primary school through 8th grade. She continued her teaching career in the Archdiocese of Washington at St. Frances de Sales Junior High School in Southeast D.C.
She and her late husband ran a foster home in Silver Spring, MD at the Kemp Mill Specialized Group Foster Home for Abused Teenagers, and later were youth and family minsters at Holy Apostles Church in Colorado Springs, CO. She returned to teaching multiple subjects at the Holy Redeemer Junior High School in the Archdiocese of Washington and then for the Diocese of Arlington at Queen of Apostles School in Alexandria, VA. She found her teaching home at Paul VI High School in Fairfax, VA in 1995, where she practiced her teaching talents through a variety of courses in religion and history, including her development of the Senior elective religion courses on Death and Dying and Salesian Spirituality, as well as other courses in the Theology and History departments. She strongly believed in the principles of Salesian Spirituality and applied them to her own spiritual life and shared it with her students in her roles as a teacher and as a club moderator.
Anne loved cooking and spread that love by teaching a course on cooking gourmet foods and by gifting any in need with her delicious baked goods as an expression of her generosity and caring. She loved teaching and helping people of all ages and put that love into her volunteer work and active involvement at every school where she taught. While at Paul VI this included working with a pilot program for teen participation in a hospice program, moderator for Key Club, Salesian leadership Club, SADD, PVI Service Corps, and more.
Following the 2020 passing of Donald, her husband of forty years, Anne leaves behind her daughter Caroline and cat Fifi; her siblings, including brother Edgar Crill Henry Jr. (Chip), sister Evelyn Anderson, and half-brother Alan Beck; niece and nephews Christopher Henry, Justin Anderson, Lydia Anderson, Evan Anderson, and their spouses; and eight grandnieces and grandnephews. She will be missed greatly and remembered in the hearts of her family and friends for her generosity, curiosity, kindness, vibrant personality, enthusiasm, and impish sense of humor.
A funeral mass will take place on Friday, September 3rd, 2021 at 1:00 PM at Saint John Neumann Catholic Church located at 11900 Lawyers Road in Reston, Virginia. The family respectfully asks that all who choose to attend wear a mask and practice social distancing. The service will also be offered virtually through the SJN website.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Anne’s name to Catholic Charities USA.
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Anne gracefully lived her Catholic faith and Salesian spirituality. She, in fact, with the utmost humility, truly represented a “Devout Life.;” always dedicated to the total welfare of her students. As a Social Studies teacher, I particularly relished her deep, genuine interest in history. As a coach, I sincerely appreciated her attendance at athletic events. “Jesus cum Maria Sit nobis in via.” Joe Gesker, PVI Social Studies (Retired)
I remember when I was at PVI Mrs HG took a Group of students up to Michigan for a leadership camp. It was one of my favourite memories from high school and today I work with students and think she had something to do with that. I also vividly remember writing out a list of reasons people die on her blackboard and death by Komodo dragons written on it. She found ways to make us laugh even in a class set around death. RIP Mrs HG
One of the great joys I had in the course of my relationship with Anne was sharing the duties of moderator with the service club, REACH. We tied more ribbons on carnations than I can count! I’m profoundly grateful for all that she taught me, not to mention what she taught the students we shared; we all know we need to pray for those who think they have no one to pray for them. Anne truly did “live Jesus.”