Rex Enderson

Born Tuesday, November 7th, 1933, in Hayti, Missouri, the 10th of 11 children in his family, Rex always described himself as a “poor dirt farmer” whose only crop was dirt. However, in the course of his life, he embodied the American dream, building himself up from sharecropper to successful businessman, community supporter and generous patriarch of a lovingly devoted family.

He passed away suddenly, early Thursday morning, March 5th, 2020, in his apartment at The Harmony at Brentwood, not quite a week after moving in, optimistic that this was a good place to start his next chapter after losing his beloved wife of 66 years, high school sweetheart Barbara, less than a month earlier.

Predeceased by wife Barbara Ann Marshall Enderson, son Christopher Dale Enderson, parents John Ed and Laura Davis Enderson, five brothers W.B., Lawson, Wesley, John Ed Jr., and Ivan, and four sisters Mrs. L.H. Cyr, Mrs. R.M. Morgan, Mrs. J.P.Forehand, and Gracie (Mrs. Ernest “Jeep”) Riley.

Survived by daughters Sonna Marlene (Keith) Robinson and Celeste Marshall (Steve) Carter, grandsons Joseph Edward Robinson and Christopher Joseph Viola, niece Sandi Riley, niece Jerri (David) DeMarco, grandnieces Laura (Matt) Troconis and Anna DeMarco, great-grandniece Graciela Marie Troconis, and many other extended family.

After moving to Paris, Tennessee as a young fellow, he met Barbara at the local roller rink, and asked her father for her hand in marriage. They soon were wed on May 15, 1953. Rex worked at the Holley Carbuerator Plant and joined the National Guard.

Two years later, they welcomed their first baby girl, leading to his favorite job as a doting dad. After later weathering the death of their infant son, they moved to East Nashville, where he took a job with Lever Brothers. Later moving to the Hillwood area, they welcomed daughter Celeste. In the early 70s, they moved to Brentwood, first in Carondelet, then on Franklin Road, and a succession of other homes in the city, and maintained membership in Brentwood United Methodist Church and its Wesley Forum Sunday School class.

In Brentwood, as their daughters grew up, Rex took on the second job of helping Barbara buy and run the Brentwood Flower Shop with occasional help from their daughters, and a growing circle of treasured employees who invariably became close friends. For delivery drivers, they always preferred off-duty Brentwood firefighters, who were always strong, careful, polite, and knowledgeable of the city. They sold the shop to one of those treasured employees in the 80s.

Rex retired from Lever Brothers in March 1994, built his dream home on Crockett Road with the “Dolly blind” out back (their property backed up to Dolly Parton’s), and switched to the full-time job of entertaining Barbara and their vast brood of extended family.

When not working, he graciously, generously, and tirelessly hosted family and friends, especially extending himself any way he could to uphold his daughters, his two grandsons, his nieces, grandnieces, his great-grandniece, and even his “meathead” sons-in-law, Keith & Steve.

In recent years, he and Barbara moved to the Del Webb community in Mt. Juliet, where they, of course, made new great friends, and they joined the Vineyard Sunday School Class at Grace United Methodist Church, who are honorary pallbearers. They were also cared for in recent years by beloved neighbors, Jim & Yvonne Scabareti and Yvonne’s sister Pat along with close friends Trish Binkley & Melinda Sparks, and beloved niece Jerri DeMarco & her daughters Laura & Anna.

The man could groom a lawn like Versailles, fix pert’ near anything, and flip burgers to perfection. He had the faith and courage to move mountains, and he will be sorely missed and fondly remembered.

Brentwood-Roesch-Patton Funeral Home, at 9010 Church Street in Brentwood, will host visitation on Monday, March 9th, from noon to 2:00pm, with a Celebration of Life service at 2:00pm, followed by a family-only interment afterwards at Harpeth Hills Memory Gardens.