Shirley Cook Heintz

It is with joy for Mom, yet heavy hearts for the rest of us, that Shirley Faye Cook Heintz took her final breaths on earth at 4:10 Sunday, May 24, 2026, to be welcomed into the arms of Jesus, where she will no longer have any form of cancer, sickness, or heartache.

Mom was the quiet strength behind our dad, us children, and her grandchildren, always reminding us to follow God’s Word and do the next right thing (especially when she felt we had managed to do the “first thing” incorrectly). She loved us and her friends in a way that was fierce, selfless, and unconditional—emulating Christ-like love in all she did. Even after her most recent, and shocking, cancer diagnosis, which gave her such little time left with us, she said that our time here on earth is not up to us, but God. She then reminded us, in the way only Mom could, that she would receive her reward in heaven, just as Jesus promised. What a testimony in the midst of a harsh reality, but she had been here before, too many times.

Mom was a three-time cancer survivor: colon cancer at age 54, small bowel cancer at 55, and then breast cancer at 79. During the first two she continued to work full-time, driving herself to and from weekly chemotherapy treatments, and then getting up the next morning to go back to work another day. She battled all three cancers with such grace, and we are so thankful that we had so much more time with her. This final cancer, however, was just one too many.

Mom grew up in Statesville until after WWII, when her parents decided to build a house and “move home” to Amity Hill. She attended and graduated from Troutman High School in 1955, and until her recent diagnosis, she loved attending monthly “class meetings” with those she had gone to school with so many years ago. She loved music and played the organ for Bethesda Presbyterian Church until she married Steve Heintz in 1965. They lived briefly in Statesville before moving to Charlotte, where they started their family and met life-long friends at Eastway Christian Church, friends who gathered through the years, picking up where they last left off, enjoying many beach trips together.

In 1977, Mom and Dad decided to move closer to their families, returning to Statesville, and soon after, Mom went back to work at Gillam Furniture as an administrative assistant, so that Dad and our uncle could start their dream of running an automotive/racing business. Once again, Mom was the quiet strength supporting our family financially while Dad worked to build Heintz Bros. Automotive. She always made sure we had what we needed, sacrificing her own wants (or needs) to ensure our childhood was full of all the activities we enjoyed, as well as the sports we wanted to play. She worked for Gillam, which became Thomasville Furniture, until she retired in the summer of 1997. While her dream of being a stay-at-home mom only lasted 10 years, she used her retirement years to care for grandchildren, as well as help care for her father until he passed, and then, when it became too much for her mother to live alone, Mom brought her to live with her, honoring her mother’s request to stay with her until she died.

One pastime Mom loved was line dancing at the Statesville Senior Center. She did this twice a week for years, and she met many new friends through this interest. She also enjoyed spending time with her friends, as well as the many groups she was a part of at Beulah Baptist Church, including the Golden Harvesters, Beulah’s Bunch, and One Heart Sunday School class. She was a faithful member at Beulah for nearly 50 years, where she served in many roles, such as helping her husband teach a couple’s Sunday School class, teaching and chaperoning the Youth group, and loved singing in Beulah’s choir for over 40 years.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 57 years, Stephen (Steve) Heintz, her parents, Ross and Margaret Cook and her brother, Charles Cook. She is survived by her children: Scott (Dawn) Heintz, Stephanie (Richard) Wood, and Sarah (Phillip) Morrow; five grandchildren: Alaina (Garrett) Harshbarger, Nathan and Gabe (Kay) Heintz, and Brinkley and Braylen Morrow. Mom missed meeting her first great-grandchild by one day, but sweet baby Haven Ruth Harshbarger will grow up hearing many wonderful stories about her Grandmommy. She is also survived by her brother Ronald (Judy) Cook, sister-in-law Cynthia Heintz, and sister-in-law Gwen Cook, as well as her two nephews: Andrew (Haley) Cook and David Heintz, and two nieces, Marell (Austin) Paullins and Jennifer (Shann) Heintz. Mom was also blessed to have many bonus family members that joined the Heintz family throughout the years, and she loved them like her own.

A visitation is planned at Beulah Baptist Church, 1851 Old Mountain Road, Statesville, on Thursday, May 28, 2026, from 1pm-3pm. Funeral services will follow at 3pm with the Rev. Brian Burgess presiding. A private burial will take place Friday at Iredell Memorial Gardens.

We, Shirley’s family, want to thank everyone for the many prayers, the cards, the wonderful visits, the meals, and so many other acts of love and kindness shown to Mom and us throughout the past three months. We want to thank Dr. Joshi and his staff for so many years of Mom’s healthcare, along with Dr. Ruby Grimm, who was Mom’s oncologist for nearly 40 years. Further, Hospice of Iredell County was a God send (special thanks to her nurse Emma and social worker Jill for all they did to help us navigate Mom’s final months and days).

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Hospice of Iredell County, 2347 Simonton Dr., Statesville, NC 28625 or to Beulah Baptist Church (Golden Harvesters) at 1851 Old Mountain Road, Statesville, NC 28677.

Troutman Funeral Home is serving our family.