Sally Heckathorn passed away in her home surrounded by her husband Kevin, sons Patrick and Kameron, and other loved ones on February 19 th , 2025, after a 3-and-a-half-year battle with cancer. Sally fought courageously every step of the way, with determination, faith and strength. More importantly, this is also how she lived her life for 48 years.
Aracely Leija was born on April 20, 1976, in Jerome, Idaho. She was raised on her parents, Margarito and Margarita Leija’s farm in Gooding, Idaho. Sally was the only daughter of the six Leija children with three older brothers – Reynario, Fidencio, Sergio; and two younger – Adam and Elias. In High School she excelled in FFA winning several competitions including her favorite of extemporaneous speaking.
After high school, Sally attended Knox College in Galesburg, IL for a year before returning home to Idaho to attend Boise State University. She would ultimately complete her business degree from Northwest Nazarene University in 2014. While working as a teller at US Bank and attending Boise State in 1998 she met Kevin Heckathorn through friends. Although she wasn’t sure how she felt about him on that first night, she decided to give him a second chance and they began dating.
Sally and Kevin were married at Calvary Chapel in Boise, Idaho on March 23, 2001, and began building their first home in Nampa shortly after. However, less than a year after moving in, they made the decision to move to the Seattle area in early 2002 for Kevin’s work. Sally fell in love with the area and dreamed of one day retiring to Whidbey Island.
In Seattle, Sally worked as a financial aid advisor at Seattle Pacific University up until giving birth to her first son, Patrick Shane in January of 2004. Sally had long worried that she would not be a good mother, but that changed the moment he was born prematurely and required a lengthy hospitalization. Sally become a fixture at the NICU until they were able to bring Patrick home and spent the first couple years caring for his medical needs. In November of 2005, Kameron Blake was born, and the Heckathorn family was complete.
In 2006 Sally returned to work as a student accounts advisor at Northwest University in Kirkland and juggled motherhood and work while Kevin finished his degree in the evenings. However, in 2008 she made the decision to once again leave her career so they could move back to Idaho and be closer to family while Kevin was trying to start a business.
In Idaho Sally worked as a bookkeeper at East Valley Middle School in Nampa and then moved to Northwest University in the financial aid office, eventually becoming the Assistant Director of Financial Aid. In 2015, Sally moved to Boise State University as a grant accountant in the Biology Department. In this role Sally found a natural fit for her strengths and was quickly promoted to Operations Manager for the department. Sally was well regarded for her thoughtful, analytical nature, and her calm approach to developing and leading her team.
Sally was a role model of generosity and service throughout her life. Her faith in God was genuine and simple. She didn’t overcomplicate things worrying about denominations or theology but simply wanted to give to others and lead by example. She never preached her faith, she lived it.
She spent countless hours volunteering in Children’s ministries, food pantries, the Boise Rescue Mission among many others. Sally never needed to be told how to help, she would simply see a need and act as demonstrated by countless examples. Rather it be inviting a university student to join her family for Thanksgiving dinner, or adopting a lonely military neighbor with no family, or mentoring struggling young students at East Valley middle School during her lunch breaks she was always looking for ways to help.
Some of her favorite activities included making crafts, especially with her beloved Cricut machine. Her homemade cards for birthdays and special events where always loved by others. She loved planning and organizing events, usually more than participating in the event itself. Her biggest joys always involved her family rather it be holidays and vacations, or just going out for dinner and a movie on a Friday night. Some of her cherished family memories where trips to Disneyland, New York City, Chicago and Boston. She made lasting memories as the driving force behind countless family traditions around the holidays and loved to decorate the home for each coming season, especially her favorite season – the fall. There where few things she loved more than a rainy, fall morning while drinking a Starbucks coffee – (and it had to be Starbucks!)
Sally – you where an amazing mother, a wise and trusted leader, a loving and supportive wife and a genuine person. What you saw, was what you got with Sally. She said what was on her mind, and made no apologies for standing up for what she believed in. The void she has left in the lives of her loved ones is immense, but we will get through it together because we can follow the example of faith, love and service to others that she set for us all. Sally, you can rest now, you fought the good fight and your battle has been won.
A memorial service for Sally will be held on March 07 at 1 PM at the Nampa Church of the Brethren, 11030 W Orchard Ave, Nampa ID. There will a reception following.