Marie R. Heep

MARIE RACHEL VERRASTRO HEEP

Marie Verrastro Heep, formerly of Saugerties, NY passed away unexpectedly in her sleep on August 31, 2016.  She was the beloved wife of Richard Heep and mother of two beautiful daughters, Abigail and Emily Heep.

Marie is also survived by her parents Salvatore and Sylvia Verrastro of Saugerties, NY, her sister Sandy DiCesare (husband Gene, children Chris and Liz) of Westford MA, her brother Paul Verrastro (wife Ingrid) currently of Stuttgart, Germany, her brother John Verrastro of Los Angeles, CA, and many uncles, aunts and cousins living across the nation.

Marie was born in Easton, PA and raised in Saugerties, NY, where she attended St. Mary's School and graduated from Saugerties High School.  She received her BA in English with honors from SUNY Binghamton and her MS in Communications from Simmons College in Boston, MA.

Post college, Marie lived in the New England area and worked at TRW, The Interleaf Company, and Davol, Inc.  Marie and Richard were married in Boston, MA and subsequently moved to the Cincinnati area, where they raised their family.

Marie loved to read and was an accomplished writer.  Throughout her years in the Cincinnati area, she was a civic leader and served in various roles at Radio Reading Services and The Cincinnati Association for the Blind.  While at Radio Reading Services, Marie created the broadcast program Cover to Cover, where she interviewed authors as they traveled through the city on promotional visits.  She published several articles about living with diabetes and working with Seeing Eye dogs, and often spoke about these topics at local schools.  Most recently, Marie was working with her third Seeing Eye dog Madison.

Marie was a remarkable woman who touched many lives.  Everywhere she went, Marie brought joy to others. If a friend or relative was struggling, Marie was the first to provide comfort and reassurance.  Marie also had a fabulous sense of humor, which came through in conversation and writing!  Through her example, Marie was an inspiration to others - never letting anything get in the way of doing what she loved.  Marie lived life to the fullest, loved by her family and numerous pets.

Although we will miss her every day, especially her lovely smile and positive attitude, Marie will remain in our hearts forever.

An evening visitation at Mueller Funeral Home 6791 Tylersville Road in Mason, OH 45040 is planned for Thursday, September 15th from 6 pm to 8 pm.  The funeral mass will be held at 10:30am at St. Suzanna Catholic Church, 616 Reading Road, Mason, OH 45040 on Saturday, September 17th.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Seeing Eye, PO Box 375, Morristown, NJ 07963-0375.

To send a condolence, visit MuellerfuneralS.com