Nathan Ricky “Rick” Heatley, 81, of Richmond passed away on Aug. 15, 2024, after a long illness. 

Born on March 14, 1943, in Sherman, Texas, he was the eldest child of Eva Hulyne Williams and Barney Jackson Heatley. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, Hugh Ronald Dale Heatley, and is survived by his sister, Synthya Margot Dempsey.

Rick shared 48 cherished years of marriage with his late wife, Esther Camellia Robbins Heatley, until her passing in 2012. Their love story began one summer while working together at the Fort Caswell Beach, N.C., Baptist Assembly during college. 

Rick is survived by a son, Nathan Patrick Heatley, and granddaughter, Tallulah James Heatley, of Powhatan; and by a daughter, Jessica Hudson Heatley, and her spouse, Jenifer Klippel, of Durham, N.C.

A graduate of Paschal High School in Fort Worth, Texas, Rick developed a lifelong passion for ancient Greek and Roman languages, history and mythology. He earned his bachelor of arts from Baylor University, where he was a proud member of the Kappa Omega Tau service fraternity. Rick continued his education at the University of Texas at Austin, where he completed his master of arts and doctorate in classical studies.

Rick was a born and dedicated educator, with a career spanning four decades. He served as a classics professor and dean of Career Development at WakeForest University for 17 years in Winston-Salem, N.C., and later at Washington and Lee University. In the latter half of his career, Rick taught Latin and coached tennis at schools in the Staunton-Waynesboro-AugustaCounty area, as well as at Southern Virginia University until his retirement.

He led a “carpe diem” kind of life, engaging in a wide array of hobbies and interests. He and Esther relished travel, exploring many countries together. Rick brought many people together, leading tour groups through Italy and Greece for decades, beginning with his studies at the AmericanAcademy in Rome and teaching at the Casa Artom in Venice on a Fulbright scholarship with his young family; his last trip was a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. 

The couple also shared a passion for gardening, choral singing, ballroom dancing, art, literature, quick wit, bird watching, and outdoor adventures with their children.

A fourth-degree black belt in Taekwondo, Rick shared this pursuit with his son, along with co-leading his Boy Scout troop. He taught himself piano and taught his daughter tennis, later finding joy playing pickleball with his children and community. Rick's interests extended to classic films, architecture, history, quilting and wood carving. 

Spontaneous bursts of ballroom (living room) dancing and frequent humming of happy tunes were expressions of his enduring positivity, wonder and gratitude for life and the people he loved. May Rick’s boundless joy on this earth light his way beyond. Ad astra, magister.

In lieu of flowers, Rick would encourage you to plant and cut your own to enjoy. Otherwise, donations can be made in his memory to the American Classical League at https://www.aclclassics.org/product/acldonation.

The family would like to thank Traditions Hospice of Glen Allen for their tireless grace and skilled care.