May 1, 1950 – January 28, 2020
Donald Ray Hendrix, age 69, passed away from complications on Tuesday, January 28, 2020 at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, peacefully, surrounded by loved ones.
He was born May 10, 1950, in Memphis, to Russell Bennett Hendrix, Jr. and Katherine Earline Hendrix. He attended West Side High School where he graduated in 1968. As a senior his peers voted him wittiest; a sentiment that would ring true throughout his entire life. He attended the University of Memphis after high school, and was in the U.S. Naval Reserves in Millington, TN, where he was made the squad leader by his commanding officers. He married Sheila Sanders on December 18, 1986 at the First Baptist Church in Memphis. He worked the majority of his life alongside his father as an electrician at GTG Electric Co.
Don always looked for a chance to make others laugh. He was the kind of man who never met a stranger. Nothing brought him more joy than being around his family. He always said the greatest job he ever had was taking care of his grandchildren; wearing the name of PawPaw as a badge of honor. He also loved riding his motorcycle through the backcountry roads of Tipton County. You could find him some days hunting for treasures at Goodwill, Salvation Army, and Pawn Shops. He was a man who could see the good in everything.
He is survived by his mother Katherine Earline Hendrix; his wife, Sheila Hendrix; three children (a son and daughter from his previous marriage) Danny (Pennie) Hendrix and Rachel (Warren) Pope and a son with Sheila, Justin (Danna) Hendrix. Six grandchildren; three grandsons, Avery, Drew, and Ryan Hendrix; three granddaughters, Emily Pope, Kersten and Raelyn Hendrix; his sister Kathy Byrd and numerous nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his father, Russell Hendrix and brother, Tommy Hendrix. Funeral services will be held on Sunday, February 2, 2020 at 2:00pm with visitation starting at 1:00pm at Family Funeral Care, 4925 Summer Ave Memphis, TN 38122. Burial will take place immediately after services at Rosemark Cemetery on Brunswick Rd.
Memorial Donations may be made to the American Lung Association of Tennessee, Inc.
