Rickey Stephen Hiers

Rick is survived by his loving wife of 32 years, Jean; daughter, Jolie; son, Griffin; brother, Chris (Elizabeth); siblings-in-law: Dawn (Bill), Joyce (Bill), Richard (La’Vonda), Dan (Bonnie), Paul (Elna), Maricia (Brian); countless nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews; and even a great-great nephew.

He is predeceased by his parents; sister-in-law, Rita; and brother-in-law, Mike.

Rick graduated from Columbia High School in 1977. He attended Clemson University for both his bachelor's degree in civil engineering and master’s degree in environmental engineering, graduating in 1981 and 1984. For the first of many jobs in water treatment, he moved to Raleigh, NC.

He also met the love of his life, Jean, in Raleigh. After they married in 1992, they moved to Elkin, NC. They bought their first home together and completed lots of home projects, and eventually started their family. Jolie was born in 1996 and Griffin in 1997. They moved again in 1998, to Danville, VA, where they stayed for four years. They relocated to SC in 2002, moving to Lexington to be closer to Rick’s parents. His family became part of the community, making friends of coworkers, neighbors, and classmates. Jolie and Griffin graduated from high school in Lexington. After they went off to college, the final move was to the Lake Murray/Ballentine area. Here, he spent time renovating his home, gardening, fishing, and being on the lake.

Rick was a man of many interests. He loved music, as long as it wasn’t country or 80s pop. He loved baseball, except the damn Yankees. He loved beer, but never IPAs. He enjoyed playing volleyball, softball, basketball, and disc golf; bowling; rock climbing; camping; and traveling. A love for golf was in his blood—for over 30 years, he was lucky to attend the Masters Tournament with his parents and family, and in recent years he had developed a love for women’s golf. He was a lifelong learner and quite the jokester.

He lived a life of no regrets. He was a humble servant to others and a champion for those less fortunate. He spoke softly but loved loudly. He was an incredible husband, father, and friend. He did not have a hateful or judgmental bone in his body, and he saw the best in everyone he met. He will be sorely missed by all who were blessed to know him.

In his honor, the family requests donations instead of flowers. The following charities were all close to Rick’s heart.

Water Mission – https://watermission.org/get-involved/give/

World Central Kitchen – https://www.worldcentralkitchen.org/donate

Kairos Prison Ministry – https://kairosofsouthcarolina.org/donate.html

A visitation for Rickey will be held Sunday, October 20, 2024 from 1:00 until 3:00 pm at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1715 Broad River Rd, Columbia, South Carolina, with a celebration of life service to follow at 3:00 pm. There will also be a livestream of the service at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86944935844?pwd=U3VxWHdtYzJTYlBGVy9oeVBOUGxjQT09