Calvin Michael Hendricks

On April 17, 2023, Calvin “Mike” Hendricks passed away at home at the age of 86, after a wonderful life and a dignified journey through Parkinson’s disease in his final years. He was surrounded by his beloved family throughout his life and in his final weeks. He leaves behind his oldest son and trusted business partner, Michael Hendricks and his wife, Linda; his middle son, Robert Hendricks--the inheritor of his inventor’s imagination—and his wife Angela; and his only daughter, Laura Joyce, his traveling companion around the world and close beside him as he navigated through Parkinson’s. He also leaves seven grandchildren and their spouses: Allison (Greg) Joyce and Kristin (Ryan) Watkins; Christopher (Sarah), Timothy (Aubrey) and Benjamin Joyce; Dominic Lake; and David Hendricks. He also had two great-grandchildren: Rose Lorraine Joyce and Ford Watkins. He is also survived by his brother, Gay Hendricks, and a sister-in-law, Cindy Woodruff. His first wife and the mother of his children, Jeanne Cantwell Chandler, died in 2014. He was predeceased by the love of his life, Luann Hendricks, in 2013 after 33 years of marriage. He was also predeceased by his parents, Leonard Gay and Norma Hendricks, and his stepson, Brian Lake.

Always known as Mike, he was raised in Leesburg, Florida by a single mother after the untimely death of his father when he was just nine years old. He attended Leesburg High School in the time of white bucks and rolled up jeans, and then studied engineering at the University of Florida, before transferring to Catholic University in Washington, D.C. Soon after graduating from college, he began working at Naval Ordinance Labs on the Sub-Roc project, which developed and tested sub-to-surface missiles. He then worked at Goddard Space Flight Center during the heady days of aiming to put a man on the moon, although his work specialized in unmanned rockets. He traveled all over the world testing missiles before settling into a brief position at IBM, where he could spend more time with his family and less time chasing missiles around the world.

He taught himself everything there was to know about heating and cooling homes and businesses, and in the early 70’s opened Environmental Systems Associates in the new town of Columbia, Maryland. He became known for his honesty and his skill and built ESA from a company operating out of the trunk of his Volvo to one with a fleet of vehicles and dozens of employees when he retired.

While the HVAC world was his vocation, his avocations were airplanes, travel, and fine food. He had loved airplanes since he was a child, when he would accompany his uncle, a surrogate father, to the airport where he trained pilots. Mike got his private pilot’s license as an adult, and went on to build two airplanes, completing his beloved RV-12 several years before he stopped flying. The happiest times he knew were when he was flying in his RV-12, often beside his adored wife, Luann, or when they were traveling to Europe or to St. Bart’s, an island he visited over fifty times. His travel centered around food, and he experienced great joy exploring the culinary world, whether at a Michelin-starred restaurant or at a tiny home on a Greek island with two tables on the terrace.

Diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2013, he was able to continue to fly and travel with his daughter after his wife’s death that same year. As recently as October he returned to St. Bart’s for a final visit. He handled the challenges of Parkinson’s with grace and his wonderful sense of humor. In the end, what mattered most was what remained at his side—his loved ones surrounding him and wishing him travels beyond his wildest imagination.