John Hendrickson, Husband of Marylou Whitney, Dead at 59
Marylou Whitney and John Hendrickson, sharing a laugh on an August afternoon in 2013 in the Winner’s Circle at Saratoga Race Course. Photo by Thomas Dimopoulos.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — John Hendrickson, longtime spouse of the late Marylou Whitney, passed away unexpectedly Monday, Aug. 19 at the age of 59.
Hendrickson, a native of Alaska and a former aide to Gov. Walter J. Hickel, married Marylou Whitney in 1997 and became the racing manager for Marylou Whitney Stables. He was also president and chief operating officer of Whitney Industries.
Among the numerous charitable organizations throughout Saratoga Springs that benefited from Hendrickson and Whitney’s generosity are Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Hospital, and the National Museum of Dance. In 2015, as part of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the incorporation of the city, Hendrickson and Whitney commissioned a life-size bronze sculpture of legendary racehorse Native Dancer and gifted it to the city to celebrate the milestone. Two years earlier, Hendrickson was instrumental in the planning of the city-wide celebration of the 150th anniversary of the inaugural 1863 Saratoga race meeting.
Hendrickson also served as the chairman of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame since August 2017.
“John Hendrickson was a visionary leader who had a tremendous passion for the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, the Saratoga Springs community, and racing in general,” said Cate Masterson, the Museum’s director. “He was truly one of a kind and this loss is immeasurable. The entire Museum board and staff is deeply saddened by his passing. Our hearts are with his family and his numerous friends. We all loved him very much.”
For the New York racing community, Hendrickson and Whitney created the Saratoga Backstretch Appreciation Program in 2008, organizing free events and services for backstretch workers.
Following Whitney’s death in 2019 at the age of 93, Hendrickson continued to support backstretch appreciation dinners, English as a Second Language classes, and entertainment, among other initiatives.
As a tribute to his late wife, he funded the construction of a new backstretch clinic, which opened in 2023 and provides on-site healthcare services at Saratoga Race Course. The clinic, which is operated by Saratoga Hospital in partnership with the Backstretch Employee Service Team, provides a dramatically improved experience for those receiving primary and emergency healthcare services at the track through doctors and medical professionals from Saratoga Hospital.
Cause of death was not immediately known.