02/26/1955 – 06/20/2024
Lawrence, KS
Brenda was born February 26th, 1955, to Shirley Lee Hetrick and Charles Lloyd Bennett in Stillwater, Oklahoma. She had two younger siblings, Brent and Kendra, and attended school in both Beaver, OK, and Liberal, KS. She left for Manhattan, KS to attend Kansas State University and received a degree in Psychology and Sociology. From there, she moved to the Kansas City area to work as a social worker. She met Anthony (“Tony”) Roland Pike there and they were married on November 9th, 1985. They welcomed their first child, Bailey Nicole on February 3, 1987, and their second child, Kelsey Elise on December 2, 1988.
Brenda was a talented singer, participating in many choirs throughout her life and building many friendships along the way. She had impeccable taste in music; her home was always filled with the sounds of vocal jazz. Passionate about service, Brenda volunteered in countless organizations throughout her life, often in libraries and music organizations. She also worked for many years as a paraeducator in the Piper school district in Kansas City, KS.
With Tony’s retirement in 2005, the family moved to Lawrence, Kansas. There, Brenda worked tirelessly to create a beautiful home, and was especially dedicated to developing her landscape of native plants. She received a Master Naturalist certificate from K-State in 2021. In the last several years, she began volunteering on the board of The Resilient Activist, and was an avid supporter of many other political and environmental organizations such as the ACLU, Sierra Club, The Nature Conservancy, The League of Women Voters, and World Central Kitchen. Brenda was a devoted reader and advocate of lifelong literacy; she participated in many book clubs over the years, always forming new and lasting friendships and adding books to her ever expanding library.
Brenda leaves behind her husband of 38 years, Anthony (“Tony”) Roland Pike. She was so proud of her children: daughter Bailey Pike, son-in-law Lance Jepson, daughter Kelsey Pike, son-in-law Tristan Wagner, and step-daughter Cindy Puett. Her grandchildren were her joy: Brooke, Oliver, and Parker. She is preceded in death by her parents and by her grandson, Anthony Lee Iiams. She is survived by dozens of close family and friends who will feel her loss immensely. Her wish was not to have a service, but a celebration of life will be planned for later this summer. Memorial contributions may be made to The Resilient Activist.
Donate here: https://app.aplos.com/aws/give/TheResilientActivistInc/2024
For more information or to post a condolence go to warrenmcelwain.com.
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