Betty K. Heckert

Betty Kathleen Heckert, 85, of Coatesville, PA, passed away at her home on Monday, September 15, 2025. Born in Pottstown, PA, she was the daughter of the late Ernest and Orpha (Wunderlich) Sites.

Betty was a graduate of Owen J. Roberts High School, working full time and supporting herself financially during her high school years. Her first of many jobs was working for Howard Johnson's restaurant chain on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. She continued working her entire life until retiring at age 81 from Idemia in Exton, PA where she manufactured credit cards. She worked as a waitress, bartender, cook, restaurant manager, and owned a housekeeping business. One of her most memorable jobs was the Caln School Crossing Guard while her children attended Caln Elementary School. She went to a town board meeting to voice her concern about kids having to cross the busy road in front of the school (when kids from the Thorndale neighborhoods walked to school every day) and the township offered her the job. Betty also had a "side-hustle" business of baking and decorating cakes. She created everything from character birthday cakes, cupcakes, rum cakes (a specialty of hers around the holidays) to multi-tiered wedding and event cakes. The cake business was only word of mouth, but the clients would come to her year after year after year.

Betty loved anything to do with baking and was always making cookies, fudge, and deserts for co-workers, friends and family. She introduced her children and grandchildren to the joy of baking with a favorite treat known as "baby cheesecakes", handheld cheesecakes with cherry topping with a vanilla wafer crust that everyone helped her bake at some time in their childhood and beyond. When people came to visit during the Christmas holidays, they always left with a plate of cookies!

Betty also was an avid snowman collector. She had snowmen made of all things from old knitting factory spools, ceramics, and carved wood to name a few. Friends added to her collection with birthday and Christmas gifts - it was sure to be loved if it was snowman related!

She was an animal lover and had many pets over her lifetime. Her current cat, Mrs. Mumbles, would jump into her lap every night and fall asleep with her. She would feed the wild cats in the neighborhood and provide a warm outdoor shelter for them in the winter. Her compassion for animals in need was evident in her actions. 

She is survived by her sons, Thomas and Brian; grandsons, Michael, Matthew and his wife, Kelinda; granddaughter, Rachall; niece Nancy; and nephew Clyde. She was preceded in death by her two brothers, Richard, "Ricky" and Ellsworth, "Butch".

Funeral services will be private and at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to your local animal shelter or the Alzheimer's Association.