Sylvia Hendricks

Sylvia Hatch Hendricks, loving wife, mother, grandmother and friend, returned to her Heavenly Father after her battle with cancer May 31, 2009, at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City.

She was born May 13, 1940, to William Ray and Beulah Taggart Hatch in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Sylvia grew up on a farm on the outskirts of Idaho Falls. Her father called her his favorite tractor driver. On the farm, she learned to work hard, be humble and to serve others. She implemented those values throughout her life by quietly going about and doing good.

Our mother had the great and rare opportunity to travel and live abroad because of her father's employment in the U.S. embassies. She lived five years in Tehran, Iran, and graduated from high school there. She loved to travel and appreciate the beauties of the world.

After her stay in Iran, she continued her education at Brigham Young University and graduated in nutrition science, and she completed dietician training with a master's degree at Mass General in Boston. She used training employed at the National Institute of Health and various hospitals in Utah in Idaho to help support her family. Later in life, she also worked as a special-education assistant at Rocky Mountain Middle School in Idaho Falls. She had an amazing gift for working with children and loved helping them achieve their full potential. Helping others feel valued and loved was one of her tremendous talents.

Her family was her greatest joy and priority in her life. She married Dennis Kay Hendricks in December 1966 in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple. They were blessed with six children. Sylvia was a devoted mother and friend. Sylvia loved to serve others. She was active in the LDS church, where she held several leadership positions and blessed the lives of many people. She enjoyed the years that she worked with the Cub and 11-year Scouts. Several Scouts received their Eagle Scout awards due to her motivation and influence. In addition to Scouts and service, Sylvia had many interests and talents. She enjoyed handiwork, camping and was an avid sports fan. She coached 16 T-ball teams and won six city championships.

She is survived by her loving husband and her children, Bill (Allyson) Hendricks, Erin (Jenefer) Hendricks, Kara (Jason) Reid, Stacey (Matt) Goodman, Jonathan (Carrie) Hendricks and Jeremy (Heather) Hendricks; 14 grandchildren; and her siblings, Mary Lou Mellor of Spokane, Wash., Val Crapo of Idaho Falls, Jane Bush of American Fork, Utah, Bill Hatch of Portland, Ore., and Pat Nelson of Orem, Utah. She was proceeded in death by one granddaughter, Rylee Hendricks.

Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. today at the Idaho Falls West Stake Center, 2040 Brentwood Drive. Friends and family may call from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday and from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. prior to the funeral services at the aforementioned church. Graveside services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 6, at the Alpine, Utah, cemetery.