Shirley Hendricks of Lucknow Farm in La Plata, died peacefully Thursday, June 4, 2009, at her home, surrounded by the love and care of her family and friends who helped watch over her in her last days.

Born on February 10, 1929 in Springfield, Missouri, she was the daughter of the late Judge Lewis Blamey Hoff, whose family founded the Cedar County Republican newspaper, and Gladys Anne Cunningham Hoff of Stockton, Missouri. Shirley grew up in Stockton and she would be the first to tell you she had lived a full and happy life, filled with family and friends, travel and adventure, and music and love. Her mother would tell people she hummed "Springtime in the Rockies" before she could talk and she began playing the piano at age six. At age 11 she accompanied Tut Hendricks playing a trombone solo at the State meet at the University of Missouri, where the judge later said "the little girl accompanying played better than 90% of the competitors and grown-up accompanists" and sent them both on to the Nationals in Topeka Kansas.

Shirley went on to major in Music at Drury College in Springfield, Missouri, and on June 18, 1949, married a young West Point graduate Meredith E "Tut" Hendricks, from her home town. Together they moved over a dozen times (across the Atlantic Ocean twice), raised four children (Karen – born in Trieste, Italy, Mary Cay and Patch – born in West Point, New York, and Didi – born in Verona, Italy), made countless friends that extended well beyond their immediate "Class of '49 gang and spanned coast to coast and continent to continent. During their tour at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, with the 82nd Airborne, Shirley taught herself to play the organ because there were 17 chapels and only three organists. After 31 exhilarating years as a military spouse, she and her husband "retired" for the first time to their Lucknow Farm in La Plata in 1970.

At Lucknow, Shirley and her "Colonel" settled in to raising tobacco, horses, corn, chickens, cattle, and their four children on Hawkins Gate Road. Shirley found new ways to share her love of music with her community when in 1971, she was asked by a County music teacher to play the overture for the musical South Pacific which was being performed by the Port Tobacco Players – and that began her 35-year-plus musical relationship with Charles County and Southern Maryland that included such productions as Carousel, Fiddler on the Roof, Gigi, and My Fair Lady to name but a few. Many will remember Shirley's noted hosting of some of the best post-production cast parties at Lucknow. In a quote from a 1999 article about her in a local magazine she said , "The Music Director is responsible for the sound of the music - putting together and rehearsing the music - it is fun - sometimes it is even magic.'' Shirley was credited as having played a major part in a PTP group called "Encore", in which the PTP reached out into the community. From that Shirley helped spin off the show "A Salute to the USO", which went "on tour" performing in various venues on a multitude of occasions over many years. Shirley's favorite audience was the Charlotte Hall Veteran's Home where their WW II military medleys and tribute to the United States Military Services was so appreciated and where the Veterans found great comfort in reminiscing with the songs they loved. To Shirley there was nothing more heartwarming than to see those Veterans smiling and saluting to their Service song.

In addition to PTP and the USO Show, Shirley Hendricks played for local school productions, accompanied and coached hundreds of Tri-County and State soloist competitions, was the musical director of the Festival of Trees for Hospice, and played for many weddings, funerals and special occasions. She was the organist at Old Fields Episcopal Church in Hughesville, and more recently the organist at Saint Anne's Anglican Church in Charlotte Hall, beautifully playing her last Service two weeks before her death. Music was her life and her sense of volunteerism brought not only great personal happiness to herself but also to the people and the community she grew to love so dearly. She is appreciated and will be missed by all who were touched by her life.

Shirley is survived by her husband, retired Col Meredith "Tut" Hendricks, her sister Mary Pat Ritenour of Colorado and her brother Phil Hoff of Arizona, her children Karen Hendricks of Kansas City, Missouri, and Mary and Archy Miller, Patch and Theresa Hendricks, and Didi and Charlie Huber, of Lucknow Farm, grandchildren Anne Hendricks, Jessie Hendricks, Ricky, Katie and Julie Huber, and great grandson Kai Hendricks, along with her extended family, Carol Hendricks and her children Keith and Holly Sanderson and their children Jared and Sierra of Hughsville and Kim and Phil Cuellar and their children, Gabby, Allie, and Dane of La Plata.

But everyone knows that anyone who sat at Shirley Hendricks's kitchen table for any length of time was "family." The coffee pot was always on and an extra seat or two at the kitchen table were always open and available at mealtime. And Shirley's homemade Toll House Cookies will be sorely missed by the Hawkins Gate Road Gang at Halloween.

Funeral arrangements are being handled by Raymond Funeral Service at 5635 Washington Avenue in La Plata, MD 20646 (301-934-2920). Visitation is on Tuesday, 9 June, from 1-3pm and 6-8pm, with Prayers at 7pm by the family friend Rev Sam Gouldthorpe. A Funeral Service will be held on Wednesday, 10 June at 11am at Saint Anne's Anglican Church in Charlotte Hall, with Rt. Rev. William McClean, Jr. and guest Rev Elly Brown -Shirley's spiritual advisors and friends – presiding. Pallbearers are Archy Miller, Richard Totoiu, Keith Sanderson, Ricky Huber, Charlie Huber, and Frank Hamilton. Honorary Pallbearers are Bob Schwier and Kai Hendricks.