Heterick, Mollie Miller

Mollie Elizabeth Miller Heterick of Blacksburg, VA died on August 23, 2023 at age 85. She was born in Hattiesburg, MS on January 14, 1938, to the late Thomas Wesley Miller and Elizabeth King Miller. Her family moved to Christiansburg, VA in 1951, where she graduated from Christiansburg High School and Virginia Intermont College in Bristol, VA.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 43 years, Robert Cary Heterick, Jr on November 7, 2003, and an infant daughter, Mary Scot Heterick on January 26, 1962. She is survived by her life’s greatest achievements, her children: a son and daughter-in-law, Robert Bruce and Jill Heaberlin Heterick of Barrington, RI; a daughter, Dawn Heterick Werner and fiance Richard Randolph (Randy) Vines of Bluff City, TN; and two daughters and sons-in-law, Paige Heterick and Thomas Todd Walters, and Rebecca Heterick and Kevin Dale Scott, all of Blacksburg, VA.

She is also survived by eight wonderful grandchildren: Robert Wesley Heterick, Rees Miller Heterick, Sloane Elizabeth Heterick, and Cary Reade Heterick of Barrington, RI; and Brandon Thomas Walters, Catherine Cary Walters, Grace Elizabeth Scott and Jacob Cary Scott, all of Blacksburg, VA.

In addition, she is survived by her sister-in-law, Barbara Heterick Thommen and her husband, G. Edward Thommen, as well as a nephew G. Edward Thommen II, and two nieces, Karen Thommen Rayburn and Susan Thommen Curro, all of Lutherville, MD.

Mollie was an active member in the Blacksburg community where over the years she served as a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) mentor through the Blacksburg United Methodist Church, worked at the Montgomery County Christmas Store, and volunteered her time for several years selling Virginia Tech class rings to students at the annual Ring Premiere event. She was a member of the Blacksburg Women’s Club, the Virginia Tech Faculty Wives Club, the Red Hatters, and St. Peter’s Anglican Catholic Church in Christiansburg, VA.

Mollie was an avid knitter, reader, dancer, and bridge player. She played in several bridge clubs with cherished friends in Blacksburg over the span of 50+ years. She and her husband Bob were known to tear up a dance floor whenever they had the chance. Mollie never met a stranger and made friends wherever she went. Not only did she have the biggest smile, she also had the biggest heart. Those of us fortunate enough to be loved by her, experienced this loving heart on a daily basis. But Mollie had a strong and stoic side to her as well, having endured much loss in her life. As the dementia took over she continued to be a spit fire with a fun sense of humor and found so much comfort and joy in her sweet dog Marley who passed a year ago.

The Heterick family would like to extend a special thank you to Rita Salmon, English Meadows, and Brittany Bach from Medi Home Health and Hospice for the care they gave to Mollie over the last few years of her life as she battled dementia.

The family will receive visitors at McCoy Funeral Home in Blacksburg, VA on Saturday, August 26, 2023 from 2:00pm to 4:00pm. A funeral service will follow at 4:30pm.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Robert C. Heterick, Jr. Endowed Scholarship at Virginia Tech. The scholarship was established at the time of Dr. Heterick’s death in 2003 to provide financial assistance to aspiring high school students from southwest Virginia who are interested in studying engineering at Virginia Tech. The scholarship has helped dozens of students over the past 20 years. The link to donate is here.