Ruth Edna Heacock

We affirm:“The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”Truly, we have received more than we have lost.

Ruth Edna Hollingsworth Heacock, age 80, of Anderson, Texas, passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 2, 2025, at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in College Station, Texas.

She was born on March 31, 1945, in Columbus, Ohio, to Lloyd and Marguerite Hollingsworth, the first of three children. Ruth married John Heacock on September 9, 1967, and together they shared more than 58 years of marriage.

Ruth will be remembered for her heart of service—supporting missions, teaching children in the church, and championing any cause her family embraced. She donated gallons of blood over the decades, counting her O-negative type as a gift meant to be shared.

She devoted her life first to her family, raising two daughters as a stay-at-home mother before returning to the workforce. Beginning as a secretary, Ruth steadily advanced through dedication and integrity to become Budget Director in the College of Engineering at the University of South Carolina.

After retiring at age 73, she and John returned to Texas, where she surprised herself by truly enjoying retirement. Ruth poured herself once again into her family, her church, and her community—always serving others and keeping new projects and has plans on her calendar well into 2027.

She is survived by her husband, John Heacock; daughters Sarah Schreffler and Rachel Baker; sons-in-law Jeremy Baker and D.J. Schreffler; and grandchildren Rebekah Baker, David Baker, Michael Baker, Theodore Schreffler, and Ruthie Schreffler.

She is also survived by her siblings Mark (Diana) Hollingsworth and Linda McManus, as well as by her cherished nieces and nephews; by her sister-in-law Vivian Heacock (James) Howell; and by extended family on both the Hollingsworth and Heacock sides. She was preceded in death by her parents.

The family expresses heartfelt thanks to the Baylor Scott & White Emergency Room and ICU staff in College Station, and to the teams at St. David’s Hospital in Round Rock and St. Joseph’s Rehabilitation Center, whose care and compassion during the past fifteen months meant so much to Ruth and John.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at First Baptist Church, Bryan, on November 15, 2025, at 11 a.m.