Linda Hendricks

Linda Carol Pankey Hendricks, Graham, Texas,passed away peacefully on April 17, 2020, at the age of 73, after battling COPD and other health issues.  She was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, on November 24, 1946, to Harry and Patsy Ruth Pankey.  Early in her life Linda was blessed with her forever bonus parents when she went to live with her Great Aunt Velma and Great Uncle Bud Williams in Elbert, Texas.  Linda attended elementary school in Elbert and Throckmorton, Texas.  She was a proud graduate of the Class of 1965, Throckmorton High School (THS).  She loved supporting the Greyhound football team and played clarinet in the Greyhound band.  She was a whiz on the THS girls’basketball team and was voted “Most Athletic” her senior year.  She will always be remembered for her special ‘hook shot’on the basketball court and her incredible sense of humor.

After high school Linda provided essential and meticulous accounting/bookkeeping expertise as she worked for the automobile industry and oil and gas business for many years in the DFW metroplex and Graham TX. 

Among the things Linda loved most about life was animals.  She adored her “critters.”  Whether her own dogs (she had many through the years) or the wild cats that resided outside on her property, her animals brought her much joy.  Her heart would have been emptier and her life would have been less without her animals to love.  She leaves behind Gizmo, her beloved furry friend, who will have a happy new home with Mary, Linda’s caretaker. 

Pankey as she was affectionately known by many enjoyed socializing with others.  Her old friends were near and dear to her heart, but she was quick to make new friends as well.  She had the gift of gab and a great story telling ability that often included her colorful four-letter word vocabulary which could be both shocking and amusing.  Those who loved her appreciated her candidness and the authentic person she was.

Pankey often said she got her education from the school of hard knocks.  With that being said she was genuine to a fault and yet sugar-coated absolutely nothing.  She was unabashedly honest.  You always knew where you stood with her.  She either liked you or she didn’t, but she had a forgiving heart so it was easy to win over her affection and become her “new” old friend. 

She loved homemade biscuits, cornbread, red beans, and fried ‘taters,” and she would brag about Aunt Vel’s cooking every chance she got.

We know she kept her Bible by her bedside and made a habit of reading Bible verses to Gizmo daily.  She had a prayer box too, and if you were in need of prayer for a friend or family member, just tell her and “the name” would go in that special box.  You could count on her prayers indeed.

She was a loyal wife for 26 years to her husband, Rex, who preceded her in death in 2017.  She was also preceded in death by her parents, Harry and Patsy Ruth Pankey, and Velma and Bud Williams.

Linda will be missed by so many and is survived by Gizmo, Natalie Menefee, her bonus daughter, Mary Fudge, her caretaker, special friends, Shirley Caviness and Brad Herpeche, and her THS classmates – Jay, Randy, Linda Yvonne, Dianna, Sue, Jerry, Sharon, Linda Kay, and Karen (to name just a few), and a host of other family and friends who loved her dearly and will never forget her feisty ways, her tenacity, her wit, her contagious laugh, and her undying love and caring for them.

A celebration of life for Linda will be held at a later date.  Memorials may be made to the Humane Society-Young County, 120 Craig Street, Graham TX 76450, (940-549-1692), or a charity of your choice.