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Adrienne Leigh Fort was born to Eldon Roy Fort and Mary Francis Ahearn on December 2nd 1952 in Houston, TX. She was an older sister to Deidra Jorgenson and Guy Fort, and grew up surrounded by her extended family.
Adrienne was exceptionally brilliant and talented in many art forms. She excelled in academics, art, and dance throughout her school years, graduating from the University of Texas Austin with a Bachelor degree in Art History. Truly though, she never stopped learning. She was constantly attending classes, taking courses, and conducting independent research. She recently earned a Master's degree in Biblical Counseling from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2018 and was currently considering options to return for a post-graduate art degree.
She spent 42 years as a military wife, experiencing life in multiple places including Colorado, England, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arizona, California and Florida. She called herself a "traveling gypsy" and loved exploring new places with her children and grandchildren.
She was an exemplary and faithful wife, and an excellent mother to her six children. She was a dancer: teaching her daughters hula dancing, belly dancing and classical ballet, as well as taking ballet and figure skating as an adult. She was an artist: teaching art in her home, taking art as an adult, creating incredible pieces of art, and writing poems. She was a musician: she made sure each child had music lessons, she wrote each of her children their own song that they could request her to sing at any time, she serenaded her home with hymns sung and played on the piano. She wrote music for auto-harp and kept it by her rocking chair where she played music for the Lord and grandchildren. She was an evangelist and shared the Gospel faithfully everywhere she went, particularly in backyard Bible studies, Meals on Wheels, MOPS, and holiday dinners in her home with the homeless she invited over.
She was a 6th generation Texan and never lost her cowgirl heart. She taught all her children to ride horses and worked at summer horse camps where her wrangler name was "Sunrise". She celebrated her 70th birthday at a dude ranch trail riding with her daughters.
Adrienne was welcomed to heaven by her eight children and five grandchildren that passed before her by miscarriage, her mother, father, and several dear friends. She eagerly awaits the arrival of her six children (Jeremiah, Jennifer, Christina, Steven, Taylor, Olivia) and twenty-two grandchildren (Chase, Hailey, Lilla; Chesed, Piper; Mia, Noah, Elliott, Emmett; Levi, Caroline, Jackson, Titus, William, Emmalyn; Caedmon, Iona; Sky, Selah, Micaiah, Bezalel, Benaiah). https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/adrienne-mcclendon-obituary?id=55575295
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Judy Elkins
Judy Elkins
Judy Elkins
Adrienne was such a beautiful soul. So talented in all of the Arts. She was an inspiration to me. I was so fortunate to know her in Art classes at Bellaire and the Art Department at the University of Texas. I will miss her very much.
The poem above was sent by her husband of 40 years, Mike McClendon. He says she wrote it shortly before she passed away.
Rest in Peace, beautiful Adrienne.
Ellie J Malavis (Rodgers)
Adrienne was one of the most talented, intelligent and soulful personn I have ever known.
We grew spiritually together and shared many meaningful conersations over a cup of coffee.
Although we left high school for different colleges, we never lost the close bond we shared.
Her legacy lives on in her beautiful family. May her memory be etnal
Love and prayers to her family, Ellie Malavis Rodgers
B. Mark Dobson
This is coming from about as far in left field as you can get. Unbeknownst to Adrienne, my daughter is her namesake as a result of an impression Adrienne made on me in the 4th grade, 1962, at Braeburn Elementary. Adrienne was recognized by all as the smartest person in the class, if not the school. At the time someone in our class, presumably at the opposite end of the spectrum from Adrienne, declared that smart = pregnant. It didn't make a bit of sense, but it prompted lots of giggles when a classmate was referred to as "smart". I observed a group of girls scheming to put Adrienne on the spot. One of them, someone far less memorable than Adrienne, asked - "Adrienne, are you smart?" Adrienne replied in the affirmative. This prompted laughter beyond the normal giggles from all of the girls within earshot. The next question to Adrienne - "don't you know that means you're pregnant?" Adrienne abruptly brought an end to the conversation when she replied, "that is just so stupid."
In the 4th grade, I had no idea what the words integrity and maturity meant, but I knew I had just observed something extraordinary. In that childish, near moronic environment, super saturated with peer pressure, Adrienne abruptly elevated herself to adulthood in my eyes. To say it made a lasting impression is an understatement.
Twenty years later, my wife, Terri, is pregnant. This was before gender testing was regarded as safe. But I intuitively told Terri that it would be a girl and we should name her Adrienne. She accepted perhaps just because I suggested Therese as the middle name. I didn't offer an explanation for the selection but she liked it.
If you are a dad that picked your daughter's name, you know there is a ubiquitous and automatic presumption that you named your daughter after your first girlfriend. Having read this far, you know this was absolutely not the case. In the 4th grade, Adrienne had cooties just like all of the other girls.
I became resentful for not having the right to innocently name my daughter after the first girl I ever admired. So I decided to just let our friends think what they will; they didn't deserve an explanation. I also decided to keep this story a secret until my father-of-the-bride speech on my daughter's wedding night, which I'm happy to report is scheduled next year.
But then my long-admired 4th grade classmate threw down the trump card by her unfortunate passing. And it compelled me to share this story in honor of Adrienne Fort McClendon.
Rest in peace Adrienne,
Your long-distance, long-term admirer, Mark Dobson
P.S.: My beautiful daughter Adrienne has lived up to the name more than I could have ever hoped. Her character, integrity, and interests are remarkably consistent with my 4th grade memories and what I read in Adrienne's obituary. Adrienne Therese is exceptionally talented in the performing arts and works full time as the artistic director for a theater company, which puts on about 10 musicals a year.