HATTIESBURG – Dr. Albert Randel “Randy” Hendrix, 66, formerly of Panola, died Friday, June 28, 2013, at Wesley Medical Center in Hattiesburg. He was formerly the executive director of the Mississippi Department of Mental Health.

Services were held Monday at Mt. Olive Methodist Church in the Whitfield community of Jones County. Burial was in the church cemetery. Rev. David Hagan  officiated. Ellisville Funeral Home had charge of arrangements.

Dr. Hendrix was born in Panola County, August 17, 1946 to  Howard Roy and Marjorie Corrine Hendrix.

He served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam, and worked for 36 years in the Mississippi Department of  Mental Health followed by teaching at William Carey University in  Hattiesburg and consulting with mental health agencies.

He received his bachelor’s  degree and master’s degree in special education at the University of  Mississippi and went to work at  Ellisville State School as a special education teacher/grants writer. 

He received his Ph.D. in special education from the University  of Southern Mississippi. In 1975 he became Director of the North Mississippi  Regional Center in Oxford. While there he taught adjunct for Ole Miss.  He also taught as adjunct professor in psychology at William Carey University.

He was Chief of the Bureau of Mental Retardation  (Intellectual Disabilities), serving simultaneously as Director of  NMRC.

In November of 1986 he was appointed executive director of the Mississippi Department of Mental Health from which he retired in 2007. He was  the longest serving executive director of a state mental health  department.

He  was an active member of the Ellisville Rotary Club. He served as a  member of the board of the Mississippi Department of Health and the Mississippi  Department of Rehabilitative Services. He served on the Pine Belt   Airport board.

Survivors include:  his wife of 39 years, Sandy; four children, Jo Ellen Townsend, Sarah Elizabeth Marshall, Albert “Randel” Hendrix, Jr. and Sandra Louise Hendrix.

In addition he had five grandchildren. Additional survivors are his siblings Louise Thomas  of Bartlett, Tenn., Jamie Hendrix of Pope, and Tommy and Bud Hendrix  of Batesville

Memorials may be sent to either the  Mississippi Department Of Mental Health “Dr. Albert Randel Hendrix Sr. employee appreciation fund” at 1101 Robert E. Lee Building, 239  N. Lamar Street, Jackson, Miss. 39201 or to the American Cancer Society at 1380 Livingston Ln, Jackson, MS 39213.