Philanthropist, rider and “great guy” John Hendrickson dies at the age of 59
Equestrian and philanthropist John Hendrickson, a resident of Palm Beach, Saratoga Springs, New York, and Lexington, Kentucky, died suddenly on Monday, August 19, in Saratoga Springs.
He was 59 years old and the widower of Marylou Whitney, with whom he co-owned Birdstone, winner of both the Belmont Stakes and the Travers Stakes in 2004.
Born in Alaska to John, an aspiring gold miner who later became a lawyer, and Gwen, a Lebanese-Canadian marketing entrepreneur, Mr. Hendrickson grew up in a wealthy home in Anchorage.
After graduating from West High School in Anchorage – where he was class president, editor of the school newspaper, state tennis champion, prom king and valedictorian – he attended Chapman College in Orange, California, before transferring to the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he studied psychology.
He was working as a special assistant to then-Alaska Governor Walter Hickel when he met Marylou Whitney, the widow of wealthy sportsman Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney.
Mr. Hendrickson was driving the car, the governor was in the passenger seat, and the governor’s wife, Ermalee, and Marylou were in the back seat.
“She was the most beautiful woman I ever saw,” Mr. Hendrickson later told a reporter. “I was driving the car and she was in the back seat with Mrs. Hickel and I kept looking at her in the rearview mirror. I almost drove off the road a couple of times.”
The couple married in 1996. He was 32, she was 75.
More: Marylou Whitney, rider and rescuer of Saratoga, has died
The age difference was the season’s theme, but Mr. Hendrickson muted the furor with his trademark slightly crass humor. Asked if it worried him that people might confuse his wife with his mother, he replied, “If they told me that, I’d say, ‘I hope she beats me up.'”
At the time of her death in 2019, they had been married for 22 years.
After Marylou’s death, Mr. Hendrickson inherited control of the $100 million estate, increasing the Whitney’s already high level of philanthropy.
At Saratoga, he realized Marylou’s dream of a backstretch workers program that would provide meals, child care, family medical services and community events to the workers who make the races possible.
“On Sundays, he would come and sit with the backstretch workers, eat with them, check the food and serve it,” Nancy Underwood, the executive director of the Backstretch Employees Service Team (BEST), said of Mr. Hendrickson. “On Wednesdays, he would be there at bingo. He would watch the prizes being handed out and make sure they were up to par… He knew their families and asked how they were doing. He was hysterical, had a great sense of humor and sent the funniest text messages. He was just unassuming, a great guy,” Underwood said.
He also supported Saratoga Hospital, the National Museum of Dance, rescue programs for retired racehorses, and the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, of which he was president.
“He was truly one of a kind and this loss is immeasurable,” said Cate Masterson, the museum’s executive director. “The entire board and staff of the museum are deeply saddened by his passing. Our thoughts are with his family and many friends. We all loved him very much.”
He was a former chairman of the New York Racing Association.
Dave O’Rourke, NYRA president and CEO, said the organization mourns the loss of “a highly respected civic leader in the Saratoga community who played an important role as chairman of the board of the National Museum of Racing and as a key member of the committee that organized the 150th anniversary of horse racing in Saratoga. John was a dedicated philanthropist. … His contributions to horse racing and to Saratoga will long be remembered.”
“I was saddened and shocked to hear of the passing of my dear friend John,” said local businessman and horse owner Earle Mack. “He was truly a good man with high integrity and a calm voice in discussions about subjects he liked and disliked. He was a wonderful example of racing integrity and carried on the tradition of Mary Lou Whitney in an exemplary manner. At 59 – far too soon – we have all lost a great champion of the Thoroughbred industry and a great human being. He will be missed. May he rest in peace.”
Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito, who trained horses for Marylou Whitney, said Mr. Hendrickson’s interest in horse racing came from Marylou.
“He wanted to be with her. He wanted to know what she knew and the Whitneys’ story, so this was really special,” Zito said. “That Belmont was incredible,” he said of the 2004 event. “We made history.”
In Palm Beach, Mr. Hendrickson’s charities have included the Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League, on whose board he served, the Palm Beach Symphony Orchestra, the Navy SEALs, and the Everglades Foundation.
“Our beloved friend and board member John Hendrickson was a steadfast supporter of the Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League,” said CEO Sue Berry. “His generosity and leadership were instrumental in changing the lives of countless animals.”
“He was just a great guy,” said James Borynack, president of the symphony. “No fuss, no mess, just ‘How can I help?’ John had the best instincts. That charming smile was as natural as it gets. Our dear Marylou won the award when she married John. To the symphony, he was truly a friend. Without us asking, we received a very generous check for an event or support he had heard about.
Because of his concern for children and family programs, he became interested in our educational and community outreach programs. Now, as life would have it, his interest is being kept high.”
Mr. Hendrickson was a member of the Jockey Club, Saratoga Golf Club, Reading Room, Club Colette, Everglades, Bath & Tennis and Sailfish Clubs.
He leaves behind his mother, his brother Edward and two nephews. His father and 15-year-old sister died before him.
A private memorial service for family and staff will be held in the chapel of Cady Hill Farm, Mr. Hendrickson’s home in Saratoga Springs. Burial will be in the Whitney plot at Greenridge Cemetery.
A memorial service is being planned for the fall in Palm Beach.
