Celebration of life held for John Hendrickson in Saratoga

SARATOGA N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The public in Saratoga Springs honored the life and legacy of Saratoga Royalty, John Hendrickson. The celebration of life began at 6:30, Friday night.

“John was the third of the children in the family and he had kind of big shoes, he was overshadowed by his older, better looking, more intelligent sister," said Ed Hendrickson, his brother. John unexpectedly passed away at the age of 59 from cardiac arrest. While certainly too young, he leaves behind a legacy of giving. " You can lead, and you can have vision, but you need to have great people around you. And the museum here, and the staff were tremendous. The people on the board were fantastic. So, this is really a community museum,” said Ed.

While he was known as the doting husband to Mary Lou Whitney, Hendrickson was never in her shadow, playing a personal role in their charitable giving, conservation and helping the back stretch workers at the track. "Backstretch workers needed to be uplifted, they needed to be valued. The conditions they were in was not what he would like to see," stated John’s brother.

More recently, John was instrumental in helping the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, as chairman of the board. " He liked to light a fire underneath the staff and he supported us in every way. Our timeline was tight, and we got it done. We opened on what was Kentucky Derby Day in 2020. So, September 6th of 2020 was our opening day," reflected Cate Masterson, museum director.

A graduate from CU, Boulder, Hendrickson moved back to Alaska. He became a part-time model and premier tennis coach. "John taught tennis down in Florida and he would tell me stories about some of the people that he had the pleasure of a working with. And I think he got a kick out of trying to make me a better player.  But I definitely didn't live up to his level or even come close to anybody that he ever played with," said David Lombardo, one of John’s many friends.

He also worked closely with the governor of his home state, Alaska. Governor Hickel introduced him to Mary Lou and later married the pair. The two traveled the world together spending over 20 years making lasting memories. He continued to honor his wife until his last days. "John loves Saratoga. And I think from what we're seeing, coming here from Alaska, Saratoga loved him," finished Ed Hendrickson.