Noel Henderson, a dear friend and colleague to those in the PHVAC industry, died Dec. 22, four days after his 73rd birthday. He leaves behind his wife, Debbie, and children, Colin and Danielle, and grandson, Alex.

Henderson spent nearly 50 years in the valves and controls business. While shrewd and aggressive, Henderson was also a gentleman and an asset for his wealth of application knowledge and experience.

Henderson was a Vietnam veteran, and in his very early years, worked at Ford Motor Co. in Dearborn, Michigan. Henderson's early years in the valve business had him working in varying capacities at the H.O. Trerice Co. His last job there as division manager, and his later roles centered on distributor development for which he was quite suited for and skilled at.

His hobbies included all things travel, including riding the rail whenever possible; he was truly a man of trains, planes and automobiles. He was also a model railroad enthusiast. He loved all types of music from rock to his favorite jazz and blues. He pulled his camper all over from Put-In-Bay, Ohio, to the Gulf Shores of Alabama with his wife and friends. He always had the knowledge of all the finest restaurants, clubs and pubs all over the country. Henderson had a real solid love and appreciation of the arts, enjoying plays from Broadway to your local cities and small towns. He even had many acting roles in his hometown of Circleville, Ohio.

For the last 25 years, Henderson ran his own rep company, Fluid and Steam Specialties, a valve, regulator and controls focused rep business. One of the things that made Henderson unique is he ran his business as a “pure” rep company — not once in 25 years did he ever buy and resell anything. He focused his expertise exclusively on distributors and end users, helping guide them through the technical and application aspects of valves and controls.

Noel traveled quite extensively throughout the Ohio Valley and maintained a territory that, for some, would be more suited for a regional sales manager.  He was a considerable asset for the companies he represented and worked with. Carrying forward with brands like Century Valve, H.O Trerice, Warren Controls, Westlock Controls and Watson McDaniel, Henderson developed a sterling reputation for delivering on what he promised. Whether it was a quote, providing technical assistance or support for the many quality products he represented, clients could be sure Henderson would add value to any project he was associated with.

Henderson has a legacy of positively influencing the hundreds people he has worked with and trained over the years. He loved people and he loved his work. He will be missed by all those he touched and by those who shared his passion.