Dorethea Myrtis Boudreaux Hernandez

11/24/1924 - 01/01/2024

Dorethea Myrtis Boudreaux Hernandez, MPH, affectionately known as “Pie” passed peacefully from this world on February 1, 2024.

A child of Erath, Louisiana, born to Dr. Luke Boudreaux and Dorethea Margaret “Toots” Kibbe Boudreaux. She was the eldest sister to the late Dr. L. Martial “Buddy” Boudreaux and Vann Boudreaux. She was the beloved wife to the late Col. Leon J. Hernandez of Manila and Libmanan, Philippines. Her most cherished role was mother to her five children: Dorethea Margaret “Bonnie” (Tony Boquer), Barbara Boudreaux , Roberta “Bobbie” (Chet Wiley), Martial (Vicki Hernandez), and Michael Hernandez (Etienne Vick). She took great joy being “Mamen” to her 13 grandchildren: Cherie, Kelly, Rica, Amanda, Lee-Jay, Nimai, Keseva, Kanani, Jesus “Chuchi,” Katherine Marie, Nicole, Luc, and Gabrielle and her 13 great-grandchildren: Gabriel, Caleb, Maile, Justin, Jade, Jasmine, Kaila, Angel, Leon, Isabella, Aiden, Asher and Ava.

She was born in Erath, Louisiana in late 1924. Proud of her Cajun heritage, she eloped while an Aggie in Austin and married Leon before he flew to the Philippines to fight in World War II. She completed her studies at LSU and when Leon returned they sailed to the Philippines to begin their new life in war torn Manila. She lived in Manila with her family with the exception of the Washington, D.C. years when her husband was assigned to the diplomatic corps. It was during the Eisenhower years in D.C. where she served as a grand hostess on an international scale. In the 1970’s when Leon relocated to Honolulu with Philippine Airlines she stayed behind to sell the beautiful six bedroom, six bath home in Makati that she and Leon designed to withstand a Category 4 typhoon/hurricane. The Hernandez children often spoke of staying upstairs during such events while the downstairs, made of river rock, flooded. Once settled in Waikiki, with the children grown, Pie returned to school and received her Masters of Public Health from the University of Hawaii. A few years later Pie and Leon settled in the San Francisco bay area, where she established her career as CEO within the home health care field. In her retirement, Pie was an integral part of the St. Catherine of Siena’s Parish serving as an Eucharistic Minister, Lector, and Volunteer in addition to being an Ombudsman for San Mateo County assisting with local home care facilities.

Services will be held on Thursday, April 25, at 10 a.m., at St. Catherine’s of Siena Church, 1310 Bayswater Ave. Burlingame, CA