Christina Blake Obituary

Christina "Tina" Henderson Blake
11/10/1953 - 07/03/2025
Christina Marie Henderson Blake, lovingly known as "Tina," passed to her heavenly kingdom July 3, 2025. Tina was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, friend, community leader and cattle rancher.
Diagnosed with glioblastoma in 2021, Tina faced and fought her illness with remarkable grace and determination. With the support from family and friends, her church and community in her hometown of Liberty, Texas, and the dedicated medical teams at M.D. Anderson, Texas Institution for Rehabilitation and Research (TIRR), the National Institutes of Health and St. Lukes Hospital, she added nearly five precious years to her life.
Born on November 10, 1953, at Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth, Texas, Tina was the first child of Dr. Edmond Alexander, DVM, and Mary Catherine Henderson. She grew up in Galveston, Texas, alongside her four siblings, and graduated from O'Connell High School in 1972. Tina went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the University of Texas at Austin in 1978, where she formed lifelong friendships, especially through her beloved Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority.
After college, Tina began her career at the Dallas Times Herald as National Advertising Travel Accounts Manager. In Dallas, she met and married the love of her life, Bruce Blake, in 1982. They moved to Midland, Texas, in 1985, where they raised their children, Jessica and Alex. Tina quickly became a pillar of the Midland community. She served as chair of local chapters of the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, and the Midland Symphony Guild, and she was a leader in the Junior League of Midland. She worked as community services director for the Girl Scouts of the Permian Basin and started a business in nutrition counseling. Tina lived by the motto, "bloom where you're planted," and her positive spirit touched everyone she met.
In 1999, Tina and her family relocated to Southeast Texas, where she managed her family's farm and ranch holdings while Bruce continued his career in the oil and gas business. Tina helped to transform her family's agriculture and land business into a successful cattle ranching operation across multiple states and served as an industry leader through active involvement in farming and ranching organizations including the FSA Board and Rice Council.
Tina was renowned for her warmth and hospitality, always welcoming friends and family into her home. Even in her final weeks, she found joy in entertaining and bringing people together. Above all, her greatest joy was her family. Tina cherished her time with her four grandchildren, creating lasting memories even as she bravely battled her illness.
Tina's energy, kindness, resilience, and intelligence enriched the lives of all who knew her. She was a shining light of strength and grace.
Tina is survived by her husband of 42 years, Bruce Blake; her daughter, Jessica Blake (Jamie) Wickett; her son, Alex (Allie) Blake; her mother, Cathy; her grandchildren, Helen, Liza, Wyatt, and Emilia; her brothers, Edmond Jr. and James (Anne); her sister, Amy; and a large extended family of in-laws, nieces, nephews, and cousins on both the Henderson and Blake sides. She was preceded in death by her father, Edmond Henderson, and her brother, Daniel Henderson.
A friend once wrote to Tina, "Did you know not all heroes are cowboys? Sometimes they can be beautiful, stately, women, who speak their minds… stand strong and know the commodity markets like the back of their hands!" Tina is beloved by so many and will be sorely missed.
The family thanks Tina's caregivers for outstanding care, kindness and comradery during Tina's time of care, including Raquel, Makayla, Kiara, Keneshia, Ashley, Eloisa and others at Right at Home, and Tommy, her physical therapist, as well as her helpers and friends Neddie and Maria.
A celebration of Tina's life will be held on Friday, July 11th, with a funeral service at 11 a.m. at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 2041 Trinity Street, Liberty, TX 77575. Tina believed in the world-changing power of gratitude. As a celebration of Tina's life, in lieu of flowers, please express gratitude to someone you love.