Nancy Hendrix

Nancy June (Rinny) Bowen Hendrix, age 75, passed away peacefully at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, TN on December 4, 2025. Nancy was born on September 7, 1950 in Oxnard, California to William Allen Bowen and Mildred Willoughy Bowen. She grew up in Oxnard, CA, and graduated from Channel Islands High School in 1968. Throughout high school, Nancy was very popular and had many friends. She served as Song Leader for sports teams in high school and college. Nancy was also involved in several musical productions at school. She was Rally Club President, involved with Girls League, Sr. Class Talent Show, Best Typist of the Year, and voted Most Dependable by her school peers.

After attending Ventura College, Nancy began working for Oxnard Police Department from 1970-1979. She excelled in her work as was evident in the plaques she received when she left the department. Soon after, she began working at Apollo Pictures where she met a lifelong friend, Penny Whitaker. After moving to the LA area, she met another lifelong friend, Charlotte Serold. After moving to Culver City in the mid 90’s, she met another lifelong friend, Nancy Jane Sayer, affectionately known as dog Nancy, because of her love for dogs.

Her analytical and organizational skills secured her a position as Events Manager for USC Annenberg Center where she organized multiple high-level events. She eventually moved over to Public Relations where she continued to utilize her talents for USC.

In September 2000, while playing volleyball in Redondo Beach, she met her future husband, Billy Hendrix. After dating for almost 3 years, they were married on May 17, 2003 in El Segundo, CA. Their marriage date was also the birth dates of both their mothers. They attended church at Hope Chapel in Hermosa Beach, CA for a number of years, active in the homeless ministry. Later they began attending church at Westside Vineyard in Los Angeles, where they were very active members of the Hosting Team and other church activities. Nancy’s welcoming smile as visitors entered the building was always warm and inviting.

Nancy was always adventurous and loved hiking and riding motorcycles. Most of her family lived in Stinson Beach which is an hour north of San Francisco. Nancy and Billy would go hiking when visiting Stinson Beach and especially enjoyed hiking in Muir Woods, which was the first federal park in the country created in January 1908. She also loved to ride with Billy on his motorcycle, and they took numerous trips to the beach for lunch and also to the Rock Store in Cornell, CA. The Rock Store is a biker hangout and frequented by Jay Leno on most Sunday afternoons.

Nancy enjoyed going to LA Dodger games, Angels games, LA Kings, USC football games, concerts at the Hollywood Bowl, and other attractions. She especially enjoyed going to Disneyland and had a lifelong affection for a little mouse named Mickey. She collected one of a kind Christopher Radko Mickey Mouse ornaments and other memorabilia.

Nancy also loved animals, and in the mid ‘90s adopted 3 feral cats which she named Buddy, Boomerang, and Gigi. Buddy was solid black, Boomerang was gray and white, and Gigi was a tortoise shell color. After Nancy and Billy married, it took some time to acclimate her cats to Billy’s two tabby cats, Samantha and Molly.

By 2012, Nancy’s cats had passed away, and they welcomed a new member to their family. Nancy was in Stinson Beach for a few weeks helping take care of her sister, Barbara Splain. Billy was watching the local news on channel 3 one morning, and the featured pet of the week was a dog named Toby. When she returned home, they contacted the animal shelter, Barks Avenue, and adopted Toby in April 2012. Billy’s cats, Samantha and Molly, passed away by 2017.

In 2018, Nancy embarked on a different journey. Nancy, Billy, and Toby left their condo in Culver City, CA and relocated to Tennessee, settling in Bartlett. Billy’s family welcomed her with open arms, and she reciprocated. It was not a difficult transition, as she had been to Tennessee on many occasions over the years. The thing most often mentioned about missing was the weather in Southern California, which is warm and mild throughout the year. Also, Nancy Sayer (dog Nancy), followed her best friend to Tennessee when they relocated.

Nancy and Billy began attending church at Providence Baptist Church in Bartlett in 2023. The friendliness of the people was one quality that attracted them to the church. After a few years of attending, they officially joined the church earlier this year.

Nancy was preceded in death by her parents, William Allen Bowen, and Mildred Willoughby Bowen; her sister, Barbara Bowen Splain, brother in-law Bill Dickenson, and her grandparents.

She is survived by her husband, Billy Hendrix, her dog Toby, brother Jim Bowen (Ginger), sister Laura Lee Bowen Dickenson, brother-in-law Mark Splain, nieces Tera Splain Torrentes (Raul), Katie Dickenson DiCaro (Dan), nephew Dan Dickenson (Lissa), Manuel Splain (Casen) great nieces Mia, Natalia, Abby, Emmaline, great nephews Andres, Theron, Jevonni, Jonas, Coulter, stepsons Bobby Hendrix (Amanda), Randy Hendrix (Julie), step daughter Heather Hendrix Phillips (Shawn), granddaughters Peyton, Haley, Hanna, Lexi, Savannah, grandsons Blake, Aaron, Grant.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday January 24, 2026, at 11:00 AM (and meal after) at:

Providence Baptist Church Bartlett

4351 N Germantown Rd

Bartlett, TN 38002