Brenda Kay Hobbs

Brenda Kay Hobbs December 24, 1939 - December 1, 2010 Brenda Kay Hobbs, 70, of Waco, went into the arms of our Lord and Savior Wednesday, December 1, 2010, at Scott & White Continuing Care Hospital in Temple, Texas. Brenda passed away from complications of a catastrophic and irreversible case of Guillain-Barre Syndrome. She fought a courageous battle, and in her final moments she was surrounded by her family--who absolutely adored her. A celebration of Brenda's life will be held 2:00 p.m., Sunday, December 5, First Baptist Church of Waco. Visitation will be held 3:00-5:00 p.m., Saturday, December 4, at First Baptist Church of Waco. Brenda was born on December 24, 1939, in Oklahoma City, Okla., to J. Frank and Marifranc Keeton. She was a 1957 graduate of Polytechnic High School in Fort Worth, and attended Texas Tech University where she met her best friend and the absolute love of her life, Carey Hobbs. They just celebrated 50 years of marriage this past July. We are so grateful to our precious Dad--whose loss is even greater than ours--who has led us through our family's darkest hours with unwavering faith, courage and love. Brenda's love for God and her commitment to walk in the steps of Jesus profoundly impacted the lives of those who knew and loved her. Her life was defined by her gift of hospitality and the way she made people feel loved and welcome in her home. A typical Wednesday included waking up at 4:00 am, reading her Bible, and cooking Family Lunch for twenty five people--all before making breakfast for Carey. Mid-morning she would lead a faithful group of ladies in the Family Matters Bible Study which she had written each week for the past 10 years. After serving Family Lunch, she would then spend the afternoon running errands and carpooling grandkids before teaching the evening Bible Study at Stonegate Community Church. She had a particular passion for cooking and a love for the beach - especially hunting for sharks teeth and surf fishing. Next to her husband and children, her grandchildren were the love of her life. Whether fishing at the beach, roasting hot dogs, hosting sleeping-overs, making Grandma's coffee, playing Scrabble or Gin Rummy, decorating candy houses at Christmas, or singing around the piano - she was an ever-present part of their lives. "Grandma" will be dearly missed by her 11 grandkids. She had a special passion for helping families who struggled with substance abuse and her life was greatly impacted by her faithful attendance to Al-Anon. One of Brenda's crowning achievements occurred when she co-founded The Center for the Study of Addiction and Recovery at Texas Tech University. Through this program thousands of lives and families continue to be greatly impacted as they are led to the beautiful life of recovery. She also helped start the Waco chapter of ToughLove and Palmer Drug Abuse Program. She served on the Board of Directors of The Freeman Center and the Hazelden Foundation National Advisory Committee. She was very involved in Mission Waco. Brenda was an active member of First Baptist Church of Waco for over 30 years and has spent the last eight years as an active member of Stonegate Community Church. Serving others in her community was also an important part of Brenda's life. Throughout the years, she has worked with Girl Scouts of America, Historic Waco Foundation & Christmas on the Brazos, Waco Symphony, HOTCADA, and was a founder of the Limestone County Museum. For more than twenty years, she also had the joy of teaching hundreds of children to swim through the Hobbs Swim School. She was preceded in death by her mother and her father. Those left behind to cherish her memory include her husband, Carey Hobbs; son, Larry Hobbs and wife, Stacy, and their children, Christa and Levi; daughter, Terri Kay Hobbs, daughter, Angie Baccus and husband, JR, and their children, Brandon, Kyle, Baylee Jo and Regan; son, Andy Hobbs and wife, Denise, and their children, Cameron and Kaydee; and daughter, Cindy Janecka and husband, Darrell, and their children, Carey, Colby and Courtney. She is also survived by two sisters, Marifranc Mathis and Sherry Purselley; and a brother, Johnny Keeton. Our family would like to express our great appreciation to the doctors and nurses at Scott & White Continuing Care Hospital in Temple, as well as those at UT Southwestern in Dallas. A special thanks to Sherri Sheets for her tender love and care for Brenda. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Hobbs Foundation Fund for GBS Research at 12 Spanish Oak Drive, Waco, Texas 76710, or the charity of your choice. The family invites you to leave a message or memory in our "Memorial Guestbook" at www.WilkirsonHatchBailey.com.