Dervin Lee Hudgens

Dervin graduated from Cleburne High School in 1957. After high school, he attended the Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science, and graduated in 1958. Dervin also completed his studies at Washington University in St. Louis, MO and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1977 and a Masters of Business Administration in 1979 from Webster University in St. Louis, MO.

He married the love of his life Wanda York in Cleburne TX on July 24, 1959, and they were blessed with two daughters.

While Dervin was in high school, he had his first job at Woolworths 5 and Dime. During mortuary school, he worked for Sparkman Funeral Home in Dallas TX until 1964. He worked as a pharmaceutical representative for Merritt Pharmaceuticals and later Cooper Laboratories as a hospital representative, and district manager which took him and his family to St. Louis, MO and Chicago, IL. In 1980, Dervin and his family moved to Denton, Texas where he became the owner of Goen-Hudgens Funeral Home until 2007.

While living in Dallas, Dervin worked as a football referee for the men and women’s football league. He enjoyed reading, photography, and traveling with his wife Wanda. They made several trips to Europe together. He grew peanuts, watermelon, and pumpkins with his grandson Richard on the side of the funeral home, which gave him joy to see how happy it made Richard. Derv also grew roses at the funeral home in Denton where many people would walk by and pick them, which he loved for them to do. A good friend of his even developed a special rose just for him. He also loved music from classical to hymns. He considered himself a handyman to which he would try and work on anything and most of the time he fixed it.

He was a member of United Commercial Travelers, the Rotary Club, and First Baptist Church of Denton where he was a Deacon. He headed the prayer room ministry and taught Sunday school at First Baptist Church of Denton for many years.

He never met a stranger and was very generous. He loved exchanging jokes with everyone. Friends often called to tell him their latest joke. He kept a file at his desk of jokes and loved to tell them over and over to those who would listen to him. Derv was a loving Husband, Father, Grandfather, Great Grandfather, brother and friend. He will be truly be missed.

Derv was preceded in death by his parents Jimmy and Ethel Hudgens, brother Frank Hudgens and sister Ann Hudgens. He is survived by his loving wife of 62 years, Wanda; daughters Kimberly Burton and husband Richard Burton Sr. and Tamara Crawford and husband Ben Crawford Sr.; four grandchildren Richard Burton Jr. and wife Megan, Kimberly Ann Burton, Benjamin Crawford Jr. and Natale Crawford; two great grandchildren Allison and Payton Burton, brother Tom Hudgens and his wife Carla Hudgens and many nieces, nephews, family members, and friends.