Marie Theresa Brady Brendecke, better known as Theresa, Terry, Mom, Grandma Terry, Gram Cracker, GG and many other loving names, passed into the Kingdom of our Lord on April 5th where she is dancing with the angels. She was born in St. Louis, MO to Eleanor Karst Brady and Dr. Ewing Paul Brady DDS, in September of 1928. The exact date has been controversial; she celebrated her birthday on September 28th until she ordered a copy of her birth certificate at retirement age and found it saying she was born on the 29th. That just made for celebrating two days or even a whole month.

Theresa was the youngest of three daughters including Rose Hortense Brady and Mary Eleanore Brady McTavish. She married Robert Edwin Brendecke on February 24th, 1951. They had four children: Bobbi Brendecke Nelson (Larry), Geri Guilbert (deceased) (John), Steve Brendecke (deceased) (Lorie) and Patty Spacciapolli (Mike). Her ten grandchildren include Tina Nelson Powell, Sarah Nelson Kirschmann, Anna Estrada, Preston Estrada, Julia Estrada, Mike Brendecke, Phillip Brendecke, Kristine Brendecke Crandall, Michelle Spacciapolli Rake, and Monica Spacciapolli and great grandchildren Hudson Kirschmann, Packard Kirschmann, Gunnar Powell, Rieger Powell, Dean Brendecke, Clark Brendecke, Viviane Brendecke, Max Everette Crandall, Connor Stephen Brendecke, Ava Rose Rake, Zayda Estrada, and Alaya Langston-Estrada. Along with Darwin and Marie Gamboa, her full-time caregivers, who became extended family.

Terry was a strong woman who prided herself in surviving having four children under four and later four teenagers at the same time. She achieved her goal of going into the medical field when she earned her Medical Assistant degree. She was very active walking with the Feet Fleet group in Dana Point, taking exercise and yoga classes. She played bunco and cards and dominoes. She loved picnic lunches and spending afternoons with grandkids at the beach. She also enjoyed going to concerts at the park and Mission San Juan Capistrano. You could always find her dancing in a line dance or to good jazz music. Traveling was a joy for her- taking the train to Santa Barbara and San Diego, hiking the Grand Canyon, getting lost in San Francisco, and attempting to buy her oldest grandkid alcohol.

Services will include a mass and internment at Mission San Luis Rey on April 20th at 1:30 p.m.