Honoring Prof – Dr. Howard Hendricks (1924-2013)

When I asked the retreat speaker during my 15 min appointment with him – “how do you know if you are in love?”, I had no idea that 51 years later I would be writing a tribute about that speaker’s life.  Dr. Howard Hendricks was the speaker for our Campus Crusade for Christ retreat at the University of Texas. That was in the 60’s.

When I asked the retreat speaker during my 15 min appointment with him – “how do you know if you are in love?”, I had no idea that 51 years later I would be writing a tribute about that speaker’s life.  Dr. Howard Hendricks was the speaker for our Campus Crusade for Christ retreat at the University of Texas. That was in the 60’s.

The young man in question became my husband and the last 15 years we have had the privilege of working with Prof at the Center for Christian Leadership at Dallas Seminary.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer commented when he preached the funeral of his grandmother – “we can no longer think about our lives without thinking about hers.” Bonhoffer’s statement could easily be said about Prof by the hundreds of seminary students he trained during his 60 years in the classroom. None of us can think about our seminary education without thinking about Prof and the impact he had on our lives.

The passion and love of studying the scriptures he entrusted to us in turn helped form our souls and gave us a clear mandate to entrust to others. The contagion of Prof’s love of the scriptures and the necessity of letting God’s word shape your thoughts, life style and actions penetrated deep because of his unusual gift of teaching. He was a master communicator using what His Master had entrusted to him. No wonder he was affectionately called Prof. He personified the title.  

Prof could not have accomplished all he did without his beloved wife, Jeanne, whom he was married to for 66 years. Jeanne modeled for me a deep love of her husband and her family and a passion to live for Christ. She continues to be an inspiration to me of a strong woman of faith.

Prof, we all already miss you more than you can imagine. I know you are rejoicing in the Presence of your Master and that your reception must have been amazing. I just wish we could hear your own verbal commentary of what is going on there in only the way you could tell it.  We will never forget your humor, your wit and the amazing impact you have had on our lives. Thank you. We know the real party is going on in heaven right now. We look forward to the day we will join you.

A friend of mine sent her tribute about Prof to me earlier this week. It is copied here as it was sent – “Prof’s life on earth has ended, but the impact of his life will never perish, and he is living  ‘Chapter One of the Great Story, which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before. All of his life in this world and all of his adventures on earth have only been the cover and the title page.’ (CS Lewis, a paraphrase at the close of the Narnia tales, The Last Battle, p183-184).”

If you would like to write your own tribute of Prof log on to this web site that features a video of Prof’s Chapel message, pictures of his life and a place to add your thoughts to the many other tributes.

Howard Hendricks Tribute