Wonda Elise Hinnant

On June 9, 2022, the good Lord called his faithful servant, Wonda Elise Burnim Hinnant, to her forever home in Heaven. Wonda was born on October 23, 1955, in Dallas, TX-- the youngest of three siblings. She lived a blessed and highly favored life, full of energy, vigor, wonder, and love. Raised in Teague, TX, to parents Arzo and Ruby, she joined Titus Chapel United Methodist Church during her youth. As a adult, she became a highly committed member of Jubilee United Methodist Church in Duncanville, where she served in various leadership positions, including lead singer in the choir.

Wonda grew up at a pivotal time in American history. With the onset of school integration in Teague during the 1960s, she transferred as a fifth grader from the all-Black J. A. Brooks Elementary to the previously all-white Sallie Mounger Elementary. Her mother was one of the first African American teachers in this newly integrated setting. In 1966 her dad had been at the forefront of the town’s integration efforts, when he was one of two African American teachers chosen to join the teaching staff at the local secondary school. Wonda graduated as salutatorian from Teague High School, where she had played clarinet and served as drum major in the band, and was highly regarded as a formidable guard on the girls’ basketball team.

In 1978, Wonda earned a degree in accounting from the University of Texas at Austin, where she sang in the gospel choir as an extracurricular activity. Upon graduation, she was hired as an accountant by Southland Corporation, parent-company of 7- Eleven stores. During her time at Southland, on August 4, 1990, Wonda was married to Milton Louis Hinnant, an award-winning photojournalist at the Dallas Morning News. From their 27-year union was born daughter, Syandene in 1993, and son, Milton Louis in 1995. Wonda’s love of her family clearly represented the very core of her being.

After working more than a decade as an accountant, Wonda was “called” to the family business of education, responding to a Dallas Independent School District (DISD) initiative to recruit new teachers from divergent career paths. She taught at Arlington Park Elementary for 15 years, where, despite the fact that her students were often economically challenged, she was captivated by the many profound lessons she learned from them. Wonda was an inspired teacher; she loved working with children and seeing them learn and grow. Her dedication to the profession was fueled in large part by the imprint of the strong teaching role models she observed from her mother and father, both graduates of Prairie View A&M.

Upon culmination of her teaching career, Wonda became an entrepreneur, creating her own business, which she called Live Life ReConnected. She began to engage with nursing homes in order to kindle stronger relationships among the residents and their families, utilizing technology, such as film and FaceTime, to teach younger generations how to more effectively connect with older generations through speech, art, and storytelling. Within our extended family, Wonda delved into the family tree, and successfully discovered and reconnected with long-lost cousins going four generations back. She took great pride in sharing her discoveries and introducing new family members via Zoom calls she frequently organized.

Though Wonda’s adult life was spent in urban settings, she never lost her country-girl roots. She absolutely loved nature---being surrounded by trees, flowers and animals. On virtually every road trip she took, she invariably commented on the flora and fauna that came into view. It became a family joke that any animals that ventured close to us on outings were sensing Wonda’s genuine love and strong desire to “connect.” Her embrace of nature brought her peace and solace that was genuinely inspirational.

Wonda’s commitment to a connected life was also evident in her care of her parents after they moved to Cedar Hill when they could no longer live independently in Teague. She and her children visited them often, and each Sunday, Wonda transported them to church at Jubilee UM where they were embraced in love. For Mom and Dad, the Sunday outings were the highlight of the week. Wonda’s task was not easy, for the two lived in different facilities, and Dad was physically challenged. But Wonda never complained. She not only loved her parents, she honored them, setting an example of eldercare worthy of emulation.

Wonda Burnim Hinnant was a blessing and inspiration to everyone who crossed her path. She is survived by her husband Milton of Cedar Hill, her son Milton (ML) of Indiana, and daughter, Syandene of Cedar Hill; her brother, Dr. Mickey L. Burnim (LaVera) of Bowie, Maryland; and sister, Dr. Mellonee Burnim of Bloomington, Indiana. Other surviving family members include her niece Cinnamon Burnim Bowser (Steve) of Virginia and nephews Adrian Vernarz Burnim (Kim) of Maryland, and Jamel Arzo Dotson of Los Angeles, CA. Wonda had five great nieces and nephews: Madison, Cooper, and Cole Bowser of Virginia and Akim and Arzo Burnim of Delaware.

Remaining family members include four sisters-in-law and one brother-in-law-- Angela Hinnant, Lois Evans, Jackie Bass, Faye Williams, and Frederick Hinnant-- all of North Carolina, and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, former students, colleagues, and friends. Wonda was preceded in death by her parents, Arzo and Ruby Dell Burnim.