Joan Arlene Hendrix, age 88 of McKinney, TX, formerly of Saint John, IN and hometown South Holland, IL, went home to her Lord and Savior on Sunday, August 28. She is survived by her children and their spouses: Janet (Terry) Seagrave, Teri (Kim) Kelley-Hybarger, Scott (Therese) Hendrix, Mark (AnDrea) Hendrix, Jamie Broetjes-Taylor, and Tom (Dana) Broetjes. Also surviving are grandchildren: Amy Bierhup, Todd Seagrave, Kyle Seagrave, Amber Kelley, Jeff Hendrix, Connor Hendrix, Kristen Clardy, Cory Kelley, Hannah Hendrix, Steven Hendrix, Elizabeth Lara, Robin Taylor, Kelly Taylor, Greg Taylor, Yvette Broetjes, Chantel Broetjes, Amanda Broetjes, Thomas Broetjes, Nicholas Broetjes, Cameron Cleaves, Adyen Cleaves, and Lauren Cleaves; nine great-grandchildren; and three siblings: Cornelius (Coz) Dekker, Arnold Dekker, and Gloria Holman. Joan was preceded to Heaven by her husband: Jim Hendrix; parents: Cornelius R. Dekker Jr. and Nellie Dekker; sisters: Anne Meter, Henrietta Bronkema, Joellyn Toren, son-in-law: Jim Kelley, and granddaughters: Grace and Hope Hendrix.

Born in 1934 to Cornelius and Nell Dekker, Joan was the oldest of their children in a blended family. She knew she wanted to teach at an early age. When she was a girl, rather than playing "house," she lined up her stuffed animals to play "school." She grew up in South Holland IL and attended Illiana Christian High School in one of its first graduating classes. She followed her calling for service, pursuing education at Northwestern College. Joan began teaching just before she met her husband, Jim in 1954 at a roller-rink. She initially turned him down when he asked for her number, but he told her he needed to leave the rink to finish his Sunday School lesson; that changed her mind.

They married in 1955 and started a family and Joan continued her studies, working as a full-time educator, earning a Bachelor's Degree from St. Joseph's College, and a Master's Degree in special education from Governor's State. While teaching for the Brookwood School District, she helped to found their special education department and developed their resource areas with many books and devices to assist learning for students with learning difficulties. Teaching was her passion as well as her profession, so she started a tutoring program, created, and administered education programs for area churches and camps. While teaching, she organized countless social and professional events, keeping in contact with her colleagues for many years after retirement.

Joan was famously energetic in everything she did. She threw big pool parties at the house in South Holland where people always got plenty of her good cooking. She drove across the country numerous times, to help someone move, watch kids, assist with a home improvement project, or go to the beach. Every summer she would bring her family to Fontana Village in the North Carolina mountains and organize activities. Whether hiking up a mountain in the rain, rafting the Nantahala River, floating in Deep Creek, or playing volleyball, she was never at a loss for things to do. At home, she ran a tight ship, cleaning the house like clockwork, canning and freezing fruits and veggies, washing/folding laundry while baking cookies with grandkids and preparing dinner for 15 people. She loved to sing in the choir at church, decorate the house for Christmas, and have people over for dinner all the time. She was often up late making a casserole, cookies, or Oly Bolen for a social function or to share with people who needed cheering up. She loved to play cards, word games, and dominos, where she encouraged the people, even though she was about to beat them at whatever game they were playing. She was a faithful member of the Game Day club at her church and was a longtime member of the Grief Support Group.

After retiring officially from teaching in 1989 Joan started a whole new career. She ran a tutoring business from a space she remodeled in her family home. As mentor and friend to many of all ages, Joan engaged children who struggled with learning, and often counseled parents on how to cope with the school system. She continued learning through national and international travel. She wrote a family cookbook to raise money, which many people still use. For many years, she worked with a faith-group called "The 29ers," and they worked on church camps and social outreach organizations tirelessly cleaning, cooking, painting, and restoring these sites with a wide network of friends. She became active in Christian missions traveling to countries or working in a Pennsylvania supply warehouse on behalf of GAIN and Village Church Missions throughout Eastern Europe, the Caribbean, and Central America. She continued traveling for missions and with her social group until 2018 when she broke her hip.

Due to her health, she moved from the South Holland-NW Indiana area to McKinney, Texas at the end of 2019. She enjoyed spending time with family, especially her great-grandchildren who often played games and read with her. Joan passed away on Sunday morning, August 28 ^th , in the company of her children and grandchildren who prayed with her as she passed. She was a faithful Christian throughout her life who loved to show hospitality and witness by her example rather than her words. In the end, she missed her beloved Jim and she wanted to be with Jesus. She enters a well-earned rest in eternity, although she is probably organizing a game, cooking a meal, and teaching someone right now.

Friends are invited to visit with Joan's family on Friday, September 2 from 4:00 – 8:00 PM at Village Church, 14819 W. 93 ^rd Ave., Dyer, IN 46311. The funeral service will be held on Saturday, September 3 at 10:30 AM. Joan will be laid to rest in Oak Ridge Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Joan's name to Village Church Missions Board. The funeral service will be live-streamed at https://facebook.com/villagechurchdyer