Brenda "Mimi" Cendrick - Hernandez

Brenda Marie Cendrick-Hernandez (affectionately known as Mimi) passed away Sunday, December 15, 2024, at age 78, at her home in Arlington, TX, surrounded by her family. Born March 10, 1946, in Birmingham, Alabama, into a massive family, Mimi grew up there before moving to Houston, Texas, in her 20’s when so much of her extended family moved there. While raising her two amazing sons, Keith Cendrick and Christopher Cendrick, Brenda became deeply involved in the personnel industry. She began her own business, Cendrick Personnel, which she successfully ran for over 30 years. In 1990, she became a charter member and president of HIPC, Houston Independent Personnel Consultants. Although clearly successful, it always bothered Mimi that she never finished college. Never one to quit, in 1998 at 52 years old, she returned to school and received her Bachelor of Arts from Houston Baptist University.

On May 31, 2001, Brenda married Frank Hernandez, and shortly afterwards the couple moved to Arlington, TX, to be near her adult sons and three young grandchildren. From then on, Mimi’s full-time mission was to be grandmother extraordinaire! From their toddler years until the month she died, Mimi never missed an opportunity to be the #1 cheerleader for her grandkids. She was front row at every football game, soccer practice, dance recital, play performance and basketball tournament. From their kindergarten graduations and their baptisms to their college graduations and their wedding days, Mimi was their proudest and loudest fangirl.

When Mimi wasn’t spending time with her family, she loved to volunteer. She volunteered for the American Heart Association for over a decade, and in the six years before her cancer diagnosis in 2020, she and Frank worked at Mission Arlington three days a week. Mimi also loved participating in the Kids Hope program through AISD, where she and Frank met with and mentored at-risk students each week. Additionally, for several years Mimi taught Sunday School to elementary students at Fielder Church. Known as “Church Mimi”, she and Frank would host swim parties for their Sunday School kids and make the rounds each week to their soccer games and other activities.

Mimi was spunky and social. She was a master at celebrating others. She never met a stranger, and somehow, she was able to learn everything from your favorite hobby to your kids’ names within just minutes of knowing you. Except for singing, drawing, cooking, and jumping, there wasn’t much Mimi couldn’t do! She absolutely LOVED sunsets, beaches, playing games, Bama football, Jimmy Buffett, traveling, Diet Coke, coconut shrimp, key lime pie, camping, dancing, her HUGE family including over 70 first cousins, and most of all, JESUS! She couldn’t wait to meet Him face to face. Her favorite verse was Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and future.”

Brenda is preceded in death by her mother Ruby Eardeal Trimm Perry; her father, Grady Cornelius Perry; her brother, Howard Perry; her sister, Betty Williams; her niece, Loretta Shelton; and her nephew, William B. Williams Jr. (Bo). She is survived by her husband, Frank Hernandez; her son Keith Cendrick and his wife Amy; her son Chris Cendrick and his wife, Libby; her grandchildren Rachel Wilkins and her husband Connor, Michael Cendrick and his wife Lydia, and Maddie Cendrick; her nieces, Linda Goble and Phyliss Phelps; and her nephews, Perry Williams and Andrew Perry.

The service will be live streamed at the following link: https://evt.live/brenda-cendrick-hernandez

It will also be uploaded later to view at your convenience.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Mission Arlington at 210 W. South St., Arlington, TX, 76010, or by calling (817) 277-6620.