Life Sciences Building, Room 206
501 S. Nedderman Drive
Box 19047
Arlington, TX 76019
In Memoriam: Trevor Henry, UTA alumnus and longtime UTA Planetarium educator
He loved teaching others and shared his passion for the stars with thousands of schoolkids and other Planetarium visitors
Willem Trevor Henry, an alumnus of The University of Texas at Arlington and longtime employee of the UTA Planetarium who loved sharing his passion for the stars with others, died October 6 at age 34.
At UTA, Henry earned a B.S. degree in Interdisciplinary Studies in 2014 and an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in 2017. He had a love of astronomy and began working as a volunteer at the UTA Planetarium soon after it opened in 2006. He eventually became the Planetarium’s lead educator and technician, spending more than a decade there.
While still in high school, he started working part-time as a cashier at the Planetarium and was promoted to educator during his sophomore year at UTA. The following year, he went through extensive training in the Planetarium’s Digistar projection system and earned certification.
“Trevor was a wonderful presenter, educator and technician,” said Levent Gurdemir, Planetarium director. “He was instrumental in the Planetarium’s growth in its early years and did a fantastic job. He was a joy to work with and be around. Everyone here is devastated to hear about his passing.”
Henry’s connections to UTA run deep. His wife, Stephanie Henry, is a UTA alumna and works as graduate program coordinator in the UTA Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. His father, Dr. Tim Henry D.D.S., is a professor of instruction in biology and former acting dean and assistant dean of the Honors College and has been at UTA since 1999.
Henry was also a member of the inaugural full-year cohort of UTA Science Ambassadors in 2008-09. The Ambassadors are high-achieving students who present shows featuring fun and educational science experiments for field trip classes of young students, with the goal of getting them excited about learning science.
“Trevor was the consummate Science Ambassador,” said Greg Hale, professor of instruction in chemistry and founding director of the ExxonMobil Science Ambassadors at UTA. “He was clearly very happy to be performing the demonstrations, and his joy was infectious.”
Henry was born November 8, 1989. He graduated from Hill School in Fort Worth and enrolled at UTA, where he studied biology and geology before deciding to major in interdisciplinary studies, with an emphasis on education.
Most recently, Henry worked as an information technology specialist for the City of Bedford, where he worked closely with the city’s library, animal services, human resources, fire and police departments.
Henry loved animals. He is remembered for his caring nature, his generosity and love of making people laugh, and his ability to fix almost anything.
He is survived by his wife of 10 years, Stephanie Henry; parents, Dr. Timothy and Janneke Henry; aunt and uncle, Astrid and Craig Jones and cousins Andrew (Maddie and Liam), Adam (Sydney), Clara, and Marshall; grandmother, Greetje Broekhuizen; aunt, Sandy Henry and cousins David (Claire, Eloise, Sarah), Christopher (Jenny, Berkley, Quincy), and Collin (Brittany, Kate); uncle, Dr. Mark Henry (Chris), aunt, Lisa Henry, and cousins Stephen (Holly, Hannah, Hadley) and Matthew.
Visitation will be held on Friday, October 11, from 5-8 p.m. at Moore Funeral Home, 1219 N. Davis Drive Arlington, in the South Chapel.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, October 12, at 11 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall at New World United Methodist Church, 2201 N. Davis Drive Arlington. The family invites those who feel comfortable to share their favorite memories of Trevor.
The family requests that attendees wear orange or blue (UTA colors), or purple in honor of his wife, Stephanie.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Trevor’s honor to the City of Bedford Animal Services or Library (2000 Forest Ridge Drive, Bedford, TX 76051) or to the UTA Planetarium at the link here. Checks can be mailed to:
The University of Texas at Arlington
Development and Alumni Relations
Suite 421, Box 19198
701 S. Nedderman Drive
Arlington, Texas 76019
Please make the check out to UT Arlington and write :"In memory of Trevor Henry - Planetarium" in the memo line.
Trevor Henry pouring liquid nitrogen during a UTA Science Ambassadors show for a group of schoolkids in 2008.
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