Melford Raymond Henson
Tracy and Melford Henson, obtained from San Francisco Chronicle.
On May 6, 2020, 65-year-old Melford Raymond Henson, kindhearted and a defender of the underdogs, sadly passed away. Mel was born on November 10, 1954 in Riverside, California. He was raised in Rialto, California, where he went on to work in construction after high school and later became a foreman on projects building low-power Christian television stations.
In 2013, he married his love, Tracy Garmon, and together they raised four children (two from his previous marriage and two who were adopted). Mel Henson was an avid golfer, and he enjoyed fishing in the lakes of Southern California. He was a very loving, caring, and kind person according to his wife Tracy, and many loved him dearly.
Melford Henson and his dogs, obtained from San Francisco Chronicle.
Mel was incarcerated at the California Institute for Men, a minimum-security state prison. He lived in the Elm Hall wing, which was of a size that did not allow for social distancing. His prison had the largest outbreak of coronavirus in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. A prison official spoke to Tracy about his previous health issues, including heart attacks and hepatitis C, which put him at a higher risk with the virus. After catching the virus from one of the other incarcerated men, Mel was sent to a community hospital near the prison where he fought COVID-19. Sadly, on May 6, Tracy received the devastating news that Mel had passed away. According to lawyer Michael Bien, the prison did not provide personal protective equipment for incarcerated men until April 30, 2020. Mel was subjected to poor conditions that took away his chance to see his wife, kids, and pets ever again.
Mel’s kind heart will not be forgotten by his community nor his family. We honor his life and his legacy of standing up for others and helping those around him.
This memorial was written by MOL team member Maya Page with information from reporting by Julia Carmel of The New York Times and Jason Fagone of San Francisco Chronicle.