Our mom and Mimi, Helen Brooks Chennault, went home to be with the Lord and loved ones on June 3, 2026. Helen was born July 21, 1931, the first child of Ernie and Ila Brooks. Helen attended Dallas schools, graduating at age 16 from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1948. After graduation, Helen entered Methodist Hospital School of Nursing in Dallas, earning her Registered Nurse diploma as the youngest student in her class. She then worked in Methodist Hospital’s emergency and surgical departments until 1952 when Dr. H.C. Henderson, Jr. personally selected her to join his OB/CYN practice. Working alongside Dr. Henderson for 43 years, she paused only briefly to raise her family. In 1951, while on a blind date, Helen met Thomas Chennault —though Tom was actually there with another girl! Eventually they began dating and married on February I, 1952. With Tom facing the possibility of military service after receiving his draft notice, they planned their wedding in just one week. They shared 55 happy years of marriage until Tom’s passing in 2007. Helen and Tom welcomed their son, Thomas Wayne, in 1956 and daughter, Lisa Ann, in 1960. They raised their family in Grand Prairie. In 2014, Helen moved to Athens, Texas, to be near Lisa and later moved with her to Van, Texas, in2017, where she remained until her passing.
Related
View more details from the funeral home site.
Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative for adhering to standards for ethical journalism.