Roxanne (Rockie) Rudolph Hetterscheidt of Westerville, Ohio (formerly of Johnstown, Ohio) passed away on Thursday, August 21st, 2025 at the age of 88. She was the devoted wife of Raymond Hetterscheidt. Rockie was born on November 28th, 1936 in Columbus, Ohio to the late Erwin and Mary (Eberts) Rudolph.

Rockie is survived by her five children: daughter Barb (Dave) Robison of Sunbury, Ohio; son Steve (Jennifer) Hetterscheidt of Oakland, Tennessee; daughter Joan (Richard) Dunbar of Johnstown, Ohio; Son Frank (Brenda) Hetterscheidt of Blacklick, Ohio and daughter Rayn (JJ Case) Hetterscheidt of Bishop, California. She is also survived by five grandchildren: Shannon (Daniel) Johnson of Westerville, Ohio; Amanda (David) Short of Pataskala, Ohio; Kate Robison of Sunbury, Ohio; Andrew Hetterscheidt; and Emily (Devin) Lutz of Blacklick, Ohio, as well as four great-grandchildren: Coleman and Hannah Johnson, and Margaret and J Lutz. In addition to her parents, Rockie was preceded in death by her infant son Charles Hetterscheidt in 1961 and her husband Ray in 2023.

Roxanne grew up with her parents on the west side of Columbus, right across the street from a city park. She had plenty of neighborhood friends to play with but especially liked traveling to Somerset, Ohio to visit her aunt and uncle and all her cousins on the farm. These trips, along with her father's love of fishing and the outdoors, instilled in her an appreciation of nature from an early age. She loved animals and was an avid birdwatcher for most of her life. She learned to play the piano in grade school and was eventually recruited in eighth grade by the nuns at St. Mary Magdalene School to take up the organ for masses. That started a service to the church which lasted over 50 years. Rockie attended Ohio State University and graduated with a degree in biology.

Rockie met Ray on a blind date set up by mutual friends. The setup was obviously successful as they were married on September 13th, 1958. They resided in the Columbus area for several years before they eventually moved in 1965 with their four children to nine acres outside of Johnstown, Ohio. There they turned simple barren fields into a nature preserve with gardens, fruit trees, vineyards, beehives, and a pond. The land was from then known as the "Pines and Vines Farm".

Rockie was the consummate housewife and mother who could handle anything the farm life dealt. She baked her own bread, canned and froze fruit and vegetables, preserved jams and jellies, pickled cucumbers, and fermented sauerkraut. She attacked laundry stains, hung the wash out on the line, fixed cuts and bruises, settled fights, tended the garden, and taught her children to be fair, hard-working, and courteous.

Once in Johnstown, Rockie continued her service as a church organist. She played for masses, weddings, and funerals at Ascension Church in Johnstown and St. Edwards Church in Granville for 40 years. She was active in the band boosters, working in the concession stand and helping obtain new uniforms for the Northridge Marching Band. She was a local coordinator for the Red Cross blood drive and she and Ray volunteered for the St. Vincent de Paul Society, visiting homes and solving problems for those in need in Licking County.

When Ray retired from Western Electric, they obtained a Lazy Days RV and begin traveling all over the country. Rockie could be seen always having her binoculars hung about her neck, looking for another species to add to her bird-watching life list. Nothing could match the excitement from what she would call spotting a "goodie". They visited many national parks and logged many miles hiking their trails.

Rockie and Ray eventually left the pines and vines to take up residence at Inniswood Village in Westerville, Ohio. There they were able to continue their love of hiking at the adjacent Inniswood Metro Park. They made so many journeys there that they were known as "the walkers" by the other residents. Following Ray's passing, Rockie continued to enjoy short jaunts in the woods with her walker and then riding in a wheelchair with her great-granddaughter Maggie happily sitting on her lap. All the staff and residents had a fondness for Rockie and looked forward to seeing her perpetual smile.

A memorial mass will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, August 26th, 2025 at the Church of the Ascension, 555 South Main Street, Johnstown, Ohio 43031. There will be visitation starting at 10:00 a.m. and a luncheon immediately following the service in the social hall. A private burial will take place at the St. Joseph Cemetery in Johnstown, Ohio. In lieu of flowers, please forward donations to National Church Residences Hospice.

Rockie's family would like to extend a thank you to the staff of Inniswood Village for their support and care over the last 4 years. We are grateful to their hospice team, especially her nurse Jessica for her special gift of providing exceptional care in a tender, loving way over the months leading up to Rockie's final days

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