Eunice Hendrix

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Eunice Chavis Hendrix on Monday, March 10, 2025. She was the beloved wife of Frank E. Hendrix for sixty-two years; the devoted mother of Pamela Kay Tyrrell (John) and William Kenneth Hendrix; the adoring grandmother of Pierce Charles Tyrrell (Paige), Caroline Grace Tyrrell and Catherine Lillian Hendrix; and the great-grandmother of Holly Marie Tyrrell.

Born in 1937 in rural Robeson County, North Carolina, Eunice delighted in telling the stories of her youth growing up in a Lumbee Indian family. Living from the land was hard work but necessary work as she told of hanging tobacco, picking vegetables they grew, raising hogs and chickens, and spending Sundays at Bethel Hill Baptist Church.

Eunice was the middle child of four siblings. She is survived by her three sisters: Edith Chavis, Gladys Hughes, and Doris Smith. She was preceded in death by her mother and father, Cora and Luke Chavis, and her brother, Earl Chavis; her mother-in-law, Lillian H. Campbell and her husband, Alexander Campbell.

Her future and sights were bigger than what Lumberton offered, and she landed in Washington, D.C., where she met and married Frank in 1963. A dedicated mother to two children who was involved in every aspect of their lives did not stop her from pursuing her goals. Eunice reached the pinnacle of her secretarial career when she started working at the White House Office of Correspondence during the presidency of Gerald Ford and retiring during the Bill Clinton administration. She loved the adrenaline and excitement of producing documents for the president's signature in critical situations and reading and replying to the regular mail of letters to the president. She flourished in her career and formed deep friendships. From being a country girl to working in the White House, she knew she made it.

Eunice relaxed with family and friends in Hollywood, Maryland, enjoying crabbing on the river and vacationing in the Outer Banks. Every summer she returned home to Lumberton and to her family. Nothing was better than porch sitting, chatting, and shelling peas. She loved cheering for the Washington Redskins and the Nationals, and watching her favorite pastime, March Madness. Eunice played defense in collegiate basketball at Pembroke State College and earned a varsity letter. She was ever present at her grandchildren's school activities and games.

Eunice's legacy of love, strength, and family commitment endures. May she rest in peace and be forever in the hearts of her family and friends.