Sammie Hendrix

Sammie Hendrix was born February 20, 1933, in Santa Ana, Texas to Tempe Petty Hendrix and Albert L. Hendrix. He was raised in San Angelo, Texas by his grandparents, Samuel William Hendrix and Ida Cornelius Hodges. Sam was one of four children: two brothers, Odie & Bill, and one sister, Doris Ann.

Sam grew up on his grandparent’s farm and was taught how to care for the animals, livestock and several crops. He later used the skills he obtained for his own landscaping and gardening in the future homes he lived throughout his life.

Sam told us while growing up he used to ride a horse and even to school at times until he had graduated high school. He used to say that the girls in his classes would always ask him for rides “because they loved his beautiful horse”. Besides, no matter whoever it was with Sam and his horse, riding could beat walking a couple or many miles any day. Sam was able to graduate early from high school because he was studious and determined for a productive life.

Sam said he and a couple of buddies from San Angelo joined the United States Marine Corps on a bet of who could serve the most amounts of years. In 1950, he was trained and stationed at Camp Pendleton, California. Because he joined the military at a young age of 17 he could not go to war, so he became a cook for a General. (As his family grew he shared his experience with cooking and made various meals for those he loved.) Sam served 21 years of faithful & honorable service and was a wounded soldier in the Korean & Vietnam Wars. He was presented with a Purple Heart for his sacrifice in the Vietnam War. While in the service a few places he was stationed and visited were Korea; Yokosuka, Iwakuni, Atsugi, Okinawa, Japan; Camp Caitlin, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; Subic Bay, Mindanao, Philippines; Qui Nhon-Chu Lai, Saigon-Cho Long, Vietnam.

Once he retired in 1971 he was living in San Clemente, California. For a couple years he lived in a home in Pasadena, California. His family remembers him saying that the home he lived in briefly had a pretty great view of the Rose Bowl Parade. Later, Sam moved to the City of Vista with his first wife, Virginia Collins. Sam had studied contracting and electronics through his VA education assistance for $4.95 per lesson. He pursued these studies so he could design a dream home with Virginia. He always enjoyed building wooden projects, landscaping, and gardening. The property back then in the 70s had acres upon acres of avocadoes, cherimoyas, and various citrus. The house is still on Evergreen Lane and is coincidentally/currently owned by family friends. However, in 1979 due to individual differences, Virginia and Sam went separate ways but continued to remain close friends.

Sam had waited and longed for a family, he saw too many friends pass and leave their families behind while serving in the USMC. This is one reason why he never pursued the family life while he was in the service, not until he knew he was absolutely ready physically, mentally and financially. Sam had joined a dating service called C.O.L. back in the early 80s (what we would compare to modern day dating websites.) His wife to be, Felisa R. Herreria had lived in Hong Kong; she was a live in nanny. She wanted to find someone to love and begin a family with, as well. Felisa took a chance and sent the first introduction letter to Sam. This was the beginning of their friendship and romance. After writing letters back & forth and communicating on phone for quite some time, Sam eventually proposed marriage. Felisa ended up breaking the contract she had with her employer so she could move and marry Sam in California.

March 15, 1981, Sam and Felisa were married in a beautiful home in Cardiff-by- the-Sea. After their wedding they went to San Francisco for their honeymoon, this city became a favorite place for them to visit together as a couple (and eventually with their family.) At the time he was a security guard at the El Camino Country Club and used a motorcycle to go to work, while Felisa used the family car.

Sammy M. Hendrix, their first child together was born on January 30, 1982. After 6 years of being a small family, Felisa’s parents, Guillermo B. Herreria & Francisca R. Herreria, came from Sison Pangasinan, Philippines. They wanted another grandchild to care for and play with alongside Sammy Mario. If it wasn’t for their encouragement and support, Lisa D. Hendrix may not have been born. Lisa Dawn was born on July 21, 1989; Sam was extremely thrilled to have a little princess, the whole family was. The Hendrix family was now complete.

The Hendrix and Herreria’s lived together in Vista, California, and shared their passion of growing many fruits and vegetables in their backyard: figs, kumquats, persimmons, guavas, avocadoes, opo squash, bitter melon, and lots and lots of saluyot (similar to spinach.)

The family used to go on long distance driving trips around the country: NorCal, SoCal, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, to name a few. Sammy Mario joined the United States Air Force in 2000. Immediately after he completed Technical Training for his job; Sam went to pick him up from Gulfport, Mississippi. Next they headed to Patrick Air Force Base, Florida to check into Sammy’s 1st duty station so that he could take the full 28 days of leave instead of only the 10 days of leave limited for brand new Tech School Graduates. After Sammy was checked into his 1st duty station; Sam and Sammy drove 42 hours straight from Patrick AFB to Vista. They rotated shifts of driving and sleeping with the necessary gas station stops. This allowed for more quality time with the family in Vista. When it came time to go back to Florida for Sammy Mario, Sam helped drive to Patrick AFB and it took about 44 hours due to extremely heavy fog the last couple of hours. Sam was able to eat a last meal with his son before driving back to San Diego. When he did this, it saved his son 6 days of leave/vacation days. But not only that, he loved driving and this was an ultimate Road Trip for both of them. It took Sam 5 days to drive back home by himself but he said he could have made it in 4 days IF it did not rain so hard due to a heavy tropical storm. Sammy was appreciative of his dad, as this was an extraordinary feat for a 68 year old man.

Sam was an avid movie goer and was treated like a VIP at a local theater. Sometimes he would attend showings multiple days in a row during his retirement years. Also, most people that knew him were aware of his massive movie collection with many genres of film. Sam loved watching every genre, but especially crime, comedy, romance, and action. To name a few films & TV shows that he watched consistently and often were Meet Joe Black, The Prince and the Showgirl, All the 007: James Bond films, Mission Impossible(s,) Anything Batman related, Charmed, NCIS, Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men, The Ghost Whisperer and Smallville.

Just a little fun fact that Sammy and Lisa were always excited to share about their dad... When Sam was 69 years old, he was still healthy and able to ride the rollercoasters at Six Flags with them. Who can say in their lifetime that they were able to ride the Goliath at that age? Not many.

Sam was fairly healthy up until he started having his seizures. In 2009, at the age of 76 he experienced his first known seizure. He recovered well and discovered things about his brain trauma from war were now coming to take effect on his brain. As the years progressed, he started having more seizures. He would have one seizure about every 3-4 months. Sam was diagnosed with epilepsy some time in 2012 because his seizures increased with 1-2 months gaps. He was self-conscious about going out at times because he was unaware of when these seizures would take place. Yet, when he did go out with his family he loved going to run the errands of picking up the mail at the Post Office and buying groceries at the local stores and Commissary on base.

Some of the Sam’s last travels included flying to Virginia, to visit his son. At that same time the family was able to tour Washington, D.C. Disneyland in Anaheim, had always been a favorite place of his to go over the years. Sam, his wife and his daughter took a trip a couple years ago. Lisa introduced California Adventure to her parents for their first time then. Sam also was able to go to Palm Springs this last fall with his daughter, wife and grand-nephew for a weekend getaway.

Sam was still active the last weeks of his life gardening and fighting the gophers in the front yard. He loved going for walks at the Vista Sports Park and on the Oceanside Pier when he was up for it.

Early morning, March 7, 2015, Sam had to be taken to the hospital via ambulance for irregular seizure activity. He was hospitalized and observed, then eventually transferred for rehabilitation at a Skilled Nursing Facility. Sam and his family were hopeful he would make a smooth recovery after completing his physical and speech therapies. Sam’s spirits were very high at times and some of the happiest memories were of him laughing & telling jokes to those who visited him. Unfortunately, Sam started experiencing excruciating pain his last days of his life. Most of his local family and friends in North County, San Diego were able to visit him in the hospital and at the Skilled Nursing Facility. There is no doubt that Sam was loved by many. Sammy, his son had just arrived in San Diego for an annual family vacation. Once Sammy, Lisa, Aron (the grand-nephew,) and Andrei (the youngest Herreria cousin) visited Sam at the Skilled Nursing Facility; he started saying, what the family didn’t know at the time, his final goodbyes. Sam had said it was nice to see the family visiting but he asked for them to please leave because he was so tired and he wanted to go to sleep. The family had left and received a phone call shortly after they arrived home. A nurse had notified the family that Sam’s breathing was not normal. Sammie Hendrix passed away on the evening of March 17, 2015. To die surrounded by the presence and love of your family is all people can dream of.