Hilda Kay (Willard) Hendricks passed away peacefully at her home in Corpus Christi, Texas, on September 11, 2025. The loving mother and creative seamstress was 87.

Kay, as she preferred to be called, was born in Red Bluff, Calif., on August 29, 1938. She grew up attending the local schools and graduated from Red Bluff High School. She participated in 4H, Rainbow for Girls, was active at church and played the piano. She then attended the University of California, Davis, where she met and married her husband of 63 years, David M. Hendricks.

She received her bachelor's degree in English in 1960. After graduation, she worked as an elementary school teacher in Vacaville, CA while earning her PhD (putting hubby thru) as her husband completed his master's and doctorate degrees. They moved to Tucson, Ariz. In 1966, where David was a University of Arizona associate professor. Kay worked hard raising 3 girls, did substitute teaching and worked for a time at a fabric store to support her lifelong love of sewing. She made marching band outfits and flags, choir dresses, and any other sewing projects that came her way.

Kay enjoyed quilting and sewing, often combining clothing patterns to create custom designs for herself and her daughters. She also had several flourishing flower gardens filled with a variety of flowers, including roses and iris. Kay was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star and Native Daughters of the Golden West Grand Parlor in California. She particularly enjoyed volunteering with the University of Arizona Faculty Women's Club, serving as president in 2006 and helping the organization raise funds for scholarships. She and Dave enjoyed learning new recipes with monthly "Foreign Foods" dinners with other university faculty for over 40 years. They were season ticket holders for Arizona Wildcats football. Kay was a member of Christi Church United Methodist for over 53 years as well.

She and David enjoyed traveling to his conferences in the United States and Canada and especially seeing family and friends in California. They visited Alaska, Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand and took a Panama Canal cruise. She also traveled to Europe with her daughter Kathy.

Kay and David moved to Corpus Christi in 2021 to live closer to their youngest daughter and her family. She continued to play piano, enjoy visits from her grandchildren and painted with watercolors until her death. Her family is grateful for the love, support and care of all the staff at Viera senior living. They embraced her feistiness and comforted her daily after Dave passed in 2023.

Kay is survived by her three daughters, Marian Hendricks Berry (Dale) of Corpus Christi, Kathy H. Mills (Max) of Phoenix, Ariz., and Suzanne H. Eamigh (Robert) of Orlando, Florida. She is also survived by grandsons Taylor and David Berry of Corpus Christi, granddaughter Aubrey Berry of Victoria, TX, and grandson James (Anna) Berry of Miami, Florida, and three great-grandchildren, Leilani, Koa and Ellie Berry, along with brother Charles (Marianne) Willard and several beloved cousins, nieces and nephews.

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, October 18, 2025 at 10:00 am at the Viera Assisted Living located at 3010 Airline Rd, Corpus Christi, TX 78414.