Henry Clay Hendrix, 89, of Beaumont, died peacefully on Tuesday, February 15, 2011, at Summer Place Nursing Home in Beaumont.
Henry was born May 1, 1921, in Lyman, Mississippi, to Elizabeth Lewis Hendrix and Oscar Lee Hendrix. The family moved to Doucette, in 1923, where Henry, the oldest of seven children, graduated from Kirbyville High School in 1939. He excelled in both academics and sports, winning honors in debate, extemporaneous speaking, track, and football, serving as captain of the football team and being named “All District”.
He married Rowena Conner in 1939. After graduation they came to Beaumont where Henry worked at the S.S. Kresge Company from 1940, until he entered the United States Army in 1942. He was stationed in Okinawa, Japan, during the latter part of World War II and received an honorable discharge in 1944. He continued to serve his country after the war, helping to reorganize the Texas National Guard in Beaumont, and taking part in a weekly radio show about “American’s Citizen Soldiers”. He later served as commanding officer of the 111th Engineers, retiring as Captain in 1960.
He began working at Mobil Oil in 1944, retiring as a supervisor of the Products Control Laboratory after almost forty years of service. During his career with Mobil Oil, he worked and traveled extensively throughout the Middle East on two occasions. During this time, he travelled over 4,000 miles in the Holy Land, photographing the travels of Jesus and Paul and upon returning to the states, made over 100 presentations to local churches.
In addition to his job at Mobil Oil, Henry took a strong interest in both his church and community. He was a long time member of North End Methodist Church where he served on the Board of Stewards and taught a Sunday school class for over twenty years. His interest in community affairs led him to serve on the Beaumont Independent School District from 1955 to 1978, sixteen years as the board’s president. Henry also served on the Jefferson County Appraisal District and a number of other civic groups and communities. He was recognized in Who’s Who in the South and Southwest in 1972, for his work in education. Upon his retirement from the school board in 1979, the mayor of Beaumont proclaimed June 20, 1979, as Henry C. Hendrix Day.
After retirement, Henry moved to Sacramento, California, where he married Theda Zoe Greene. Henry and Theda Zoe enjoyed seventeen wonderful years together, traveling and entertaining friends and family. After Theda Zoe’s death in 2001, Henry returned to Beaumont to be near his three children. In the last decade of his life, Henry reestablished relationships with old friends. For many years, he was the driving force behind the multi-year reunions at Kirbyville High School in Doucette. As was his way, he also made new friends, attending church at Wesley Methodist, calling bingo at Baten Arms and socializing with neighbors at Huntington Apartments. In February 2009, Henry entered Summer Place Nursing Home. Henry is remembered by his friends and co-workers as loyal, jovial, and fair; he is remembered by his family as loving and strong. He was an avid reader, good cook, and a consummate story teller. He will be greatly missed by many, but none so much as his three children.
Henry is survived by his son, Bryan Hendrix; daughters, Sandy Blum and Sharon Thomas and her husband John; step-son, Tom Greene and his wife Chris; granddaughters, Lauren Blum, Dabney Davis, and Marra Gunnells and her husband Del; grandsons, Jason Thomas, Peter Greene, and James Greene and his wife Jessie; seven great-grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild.
Henry is preceded in death by his wife, Theda Zoe Hendrix; parents, Oscar and Elizabeth
Hendrix; brothers, Paul, Herman, Tommy, James, and Robert Hendrix; and sister, Margaret Hendrix Morgan.
The family wishes to extend their deepest gratitude to the entire staff of both Summer Place Nursing Home and Odyssey Hospice for taking such wonderful care of their father.
A graveside service will be 12:00 noon, Friday, February 18, 2011, at Old Union Cemetery, Lufkin, with Donald Morgan officiating, under the direction of Broussard’s, 2000 McFaddin, Beaumont. A gathering of his family and friends will be 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., Thursday, February 17, 2011, at Broussard’s.
Memorial contributions may be made to Wesley United Methodist Church, 3810 North Major Drive, Beaumont, Texas 77713 or Odyssey Foundation, Odyssey Hospice, 550 Fannin, Suite 1239, Beaumont, Texas 77701.
