Obituary for Sally Armitage Hendricks
Sally Armitage Hendricks passed away on Monday, February 3, 2020. She made it her constant aim to fill each day with life and joy. Born December 21, 1931 to Elton Marsh and Minnie Evelyn Armitage, Sally grew up in University Park and attended Highland Park High School. She met her future husband Bill on the Highland Park United Methodist Church bus on the way to an afternoon picnic. Soon after, they began their 58-year journey together. Sally attended Centenary College, volunteered at Baylor Hospital, and supported Bill in his medical education and in establishing his surgical practice.
After making a home in Irving in the mid-60’s, Sally became a permanent and beloved civic volunteer. She spent decades helping to advance the arts and history in Irving, culminating in her reception of Irving’s “High-Spirited Citizen” award. She served on numerous committees, boards, and as a volunteer with the Irving Symphony League, Irving Arts Center, and Irving Heritage Society, to name a few. For decades, Sally delighted in playing bridge with dear friends and found a warm and loving church family at Kirkwood United Methodist Church where she served faithfully all her life as a committee member and in various chair positions from pastor-parish relations to global mission work.
Even before they were married, Sally and Bill loved to sing in the choir together, nurturing her life-long love of sacred music. She spent many years as a member and President of the Christian Women’s Club. For 23 years, until the summer of 2018, Sally took great joy in working full time alongside volunteers and fellow employees at Irving Cares. Helping others in need was second nature to Sally.
Among her most treasured experiences was attending yearly family gatherings in Palestine, Texas with the United Christian Ashrams, instituted by E. Stanley Jones in 1930. These gatherings offered Sally and Bill the opportunity to personally meet and learn from Dr. Jones, whose ministry in post-WWII India and close friendship Mahatma Ghandi went on to influence the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King. Summer after summer, this retreat experience imbued the whole family with the knowledge of God’s love for people of all nations and cultures and a deep desire live to out the Gospel of Christ not with mere words, but in sacrificial action.
Perhaps most rewarding of all for Sally was serving by Bill’s side, assisting him in his medical practice both at home and in short term missions around the world. Together they traveled with the Christian Medical and Dental Society from India to Dominican Republic, bringing medical care to those most in need. These journeys offered opportunities to share God’s love in tangible, life-changing ways.
Sally sought to love family, friends, and strangers with devotion and sincerity. She enjoyed a rich, full life and never ceased to find a reason to share her beautiful smile, no matter the circumstances. An adoptive mother, she always took pride in introducing her “chosen children,” Andy and Mary Evelyn, who loved seeing her generously extend this mother’s heart to their schoolmates and college friends.
A two-time survivor of breast cancer, Sally is fondly remembered by her son, William Andrew “Andy” Hendricks, Jr. of Houston (wife Brenda and their children, William Andrew “Drew” III and Madelyn Anne), daughter, Mary Evelyn Wallace (husband Mike and their children, Alec Eason, Jamie Elizabeth, Maggie Glynn and Asher William) and three great-grandchildren Ari Nathan and Ryan Isabella, and Carmen Alexandra. She is also survived by her sister-in-law Lucille Armitage of San Antonio, and many beloved nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by husband William Andrew “Bill” Hendricks, brother Herbert Armitage, and sisters Sue Scott and Jane Keas.
The family is especially grateful for the sacrificial love and care given by Mildred Robinson during the last years of Sally’s life, and to our beloved LaVista Gossett. For both, we give great thanks to God.
A visitation will be held between 6:00pm and 8:00pm Monday, February 10, 2020 at Brown’s Memorial Funeral Home 707 North MacArthur Blvd. Irving, TX 75061. The committal service will be held 11:15am Tuesday, February 11, 2020 at the Dallas Ft. Worth National Cemetery 2000 Mountain Creek Pkwy Dallas, TX 75211. 15 minutes prior to the service, friends and family attending, will begin the processional line up at the cemetery in Lane 2.
A reception will occur for family and friends following the committal service at Irving Heritage House 303 S. O Connor Rd. Irving TX, 75060. Attendees for the reception are asked to park in the First Baptist parking lot and not the Dr. office. Thank You.
After making a home in Irving in the mid-60’s, Sally became a permanent and beloved civic volunteer. She spent decades helping to advance the arts and history in Irving, culminating in her reception of Irving’s “High-Spirited Citizen” award. She served on numerous committees, boards, and as a volunteer with the Irving Symphony League, Irving Arts Center, and Irving Heritage Society, to name a few. For decades, Sally delighted in playing bridge with dear friends and found a warm and loving church family at Kirkwood United Methodist Church where she served faithfully all her life as a committee member and in various chair positions from pastor-parish relations to global mission work.
Even before they were married, Sally and Bill loved to sing in the choir together, nurturing her life-long love of sacred music. She spent many years as a member and President of the Christian Women’s Club. For 23 years, until the summer of 2018, Sally took great joy in working full time alongside volunteers and fellow employees at Irving Cares. Helping others in need was second nature to Sally.
Among her most treasured experiences was attending yearly family gatherings in Palestine, Texas with the United Christian Ashrams, instituted by E. Stanley Jones in 1930. These gatherings offered Sally and Bill the opportunity to personally meet and learn from Dr. Jones, whose ministry in post-WWII India and close friendship Mahatma Ghandi went on to influence the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King. Summer after summer, this retreat experience imbued the whole family with the knowledge of God’s love for people of all nations and cultures and a deep desire live to out the Gospel of Christ not with mere words, but in sacrificial action.
Perhaps most rewarding of all for Sally was serving by Bill’s side, assisting him in his medical practice both at home and in short term missions around the world. Together they traveled with the Christian Medical and Dental Society from India to Dominican Republic, bringing medical care to those most in need. These journeys offered opportunities to share God’s love in tangible, life-changing ways.
Sally sought to love family, friends, and strangers with devotion and sincerity. She enjoyed a rich, full life and never ceased to find a reason to share her beautiful smile, no matter the circumstances. An adoptive mother, she always took pride in introducing her “chosen children,” Andy and Mary Evelyn, who loved seeing her generously extend this mother’s heart to their schoolmates and college friends.
A two-time survivor of breast cancer, Sally is fondly remembered by her son, William Andrew “Andy” Hendricks, Jr. of Houston (wife Brenda and their children, William Andrew “Drew” III and Madelyn Anne), daughter, Mary Evelyn Wallace (husband Mike and their children, Alec Eason, Jamie Elizabeth, Maggie Glynn and Asher William) and three great-grandchildren Ari Nathan and Ryan Isabella, and Carmen Alexandra. She is also survived by her sister-in-law Lucille Armitage of San Antonio, and many beloved nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by husband William Andrew “Bill” Hendricks, brother Herbert Armitage, and sisters Sue Scott and Jane Keas.
The family is especially grateful for the sacrificial love and care given by Mildred Robinson during the last years of Sally’s life, and to our beloved LaVista Gossett. For both, we give great thanks to God.
A visitation will be held between 6:00pm and 8:00pm Monday, February 10, 2020 at Brown’s Memorial Funeral Home 707 North MacArthur Blvd. Irving, TX 75061. The committal service will be held 11:15am Tuesday, February 11, 2020 at the Dallas Ft. Worth National Cemetery 2000 Mountain Creek Pkwy Dallas, TX 75211. 15 minutes prior to the service, friends and family attending, will begin the processional line up at the cemetery in Lane 2.
A reception will occur for family and friends following the committal service at Irving Heritage House 303 S. O Connor Rd. Irving TX, 75060. Attendees for the reception are asked to park in the First Baptist parking lot and not the Dr. office. Thank You.