Henry was 75 years old and had been living on the streets of San Diego for 10 years. He was known as a jovial, engaging man who kept to himself outside of the Voices of Our City Choir and Father Joe’s for lunch.
He was born in 1949 to Joe and Marsha Johnson, in Tupelo Mississippi and he had 2 younger sisters. He began working at a young age to financially support his family after his father had a debilitating accident. Though Henry didn’t graduate high school, he worked for many years supporting his family until his parents passed on. He was raised around the civil rights movement and the Baptist church, and was proud of how his city was the first to receive the "All American City Award" for integration. For 40 years, he worked in schools as a janitor. Here he was known for his unfailing punctuality, dedication to his duties, a ready smile for staff and students alike, and his colorful cleaning gloves.

When Henry retired, he was unable to keep up with rising rent rates and began living on the streets, joining San Diego’s community of unhoused people. After becoming known for his smile and willingness to jump in to help clean up lunches at Father Joe’s, he later found and joined the Voices of Our City Choir. There he would lead others in cleaning up after each practice, often wearing his brightly colored gloves. His encouragement inspired staff and attendants alike to join him in cleaning up after the choir lunches.

Janitorial work typically includes maintaining the cleanliness of a building or offices, removing garbage, and keeping an overall healthy environment. This was Henry’s life’s work and it stands in stark contrast to how many unhoused people are perceived. Dirty, filthy, trashy are often words used to describe people who live on the streets. Henry, and many others, do not fit those descriptions. His life is not made less by missing a door and a roof in his final years. Instead, Henry showed us that a bright pair of gloves and a smile can create a welcoming environment for everyone.