Sallie M. Henry, a member of the Department of Computer Science faculty in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech for 20 years, died on March 7 while visiting her home in Costa Rica.

During her tenure at Virginia Tech, Henry coached the student computer programming team to numerous regional championships, and in 2001 the team finished second in world competition. She also served as adviser for the student chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery during most of her years at the university. In 1986 she received the computer science department’s “Outstanding Instruction Award.”

Henry served as a visiting professor at the University of Coimbra, Portugal, and at Peking University, China. She retired from teaching in 2003 and divided her time between homes in Costa Rica and Blacksburg.

Henry was born in LaCrosse, Wis., and received her bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse . She continued her education at Iowa State University, receiving a master’s degree and Ph.D. in computer science, and was on the faculty there for five years before accepting a position at Virginia Tech.

A memorial service will be held in Virginia Tech’s War Memorial Chapel on Saturday, March 18, from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Immediately after the service, the family will receive guests at 1202 Cedar Orchard Drive in Blacksburg.

Henry is survived by her sons, Bryan and Troy, and three grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to a fund established in her honor by the Virginia Tech Computer Science Department. Checks, payable to the Virginia Tech Foundation, may be sent to the Dr. Sallie Henry Memorial Scholarship Fund, Department of Computer Science, 660 McBryde Hall, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061.

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