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Michael Roy Heathcote, of Warren, Pennsylvania, died November 2, 2026, from complications following an unsuccessful heart operation.
Mick is survived by his wife, Brandy Heathcote; his children, John, Ann, and Kenji Heathcote; his brother, Colin Heathcote; and his three grandchildren, Sophie, Oscar, and Eva-Rose.
Mick was born on Feb. 17, 1955, to Roy Heathcote and Violet Ellen Davies Heathcote in Rochford, England, in Essex, which is a suburb of London. Mick got his A levels in maths and science, and got his certificate in Telephony from the City and Guilds of London Institute. After working in telephony for a while, climbing telephone poles to fix the wiring, Mick switched career paths to outside sales, which he found he was good at, but didn't enjoy. He then found his calling in building construction and maintenance, which he pursued for 40 years. He lived in London, Canvey Island, and Thetford, England, where he raised John and Ann with his first wife, Karen Adamson. At Thetford, he worked for various military subcontractors on building construction and maintenance at the Royal Airforce Base Feltwell, before moving to the United States after his divorce.
Mick and Brandy met through some mutual friends in an online gaming community. After talking online for several years, the two realized they really enjoyed each other's company. On Mick's first trip to the United States, he and Brandy pitched in to buy a rehab house in Warren, Pennsylvania. Mick came to the United States in March, 2015, to visit Brandy for the second time. He threw away his cigarettes as soon as he got off the plane, and he never turned back. The two wed on April 7, 2015, in New York City, with their friend, Josh Polnaszek, driving over from Chicago to serve as best man. Mick, Brandy, and Kenji lived on Brandy's parents' farm in Grand Valley, Pennsylvania while they repaired the house in Warren.
Mick became naturalized as a United States Citizen on June 18, 2020, during the height of COVID. The ceremony was held in Buffalo, NY. Brandy and Kenji were required to wait outside of the building due to social distancing restrictions.
Mick worked at Lowe's Home Improvement store in North Warren, Pennsylvania, for eight years, where he became a fixture in the community. Mick was well liked for his soothing voice, quick British wit, and his readiness to help anybody. People frequently stopped him on the street to say hi.
After moving to the United States, Mick developed a passion for travelling with Brandy and Kenji, whom Mick adopted on Oct. 28, 2021. He also brought along John, Karen, and his nephews Carlos and Leo Guapisaca Owens on some of the family trips. Mick's favorite places to visit were Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon, and Scotland. They also visited Washington, D.C. and Chicago, Iowa, Minnesota, California, Nevada, West Virginia, Maryland, Florida, Ohio, Hawaii, and toured all of England to explore and visit family.
Mick's first experience swimming in the ocean was at North Myrtle Beach, where they stayed after driving down to Columbia, South Carolina to view the total solar eclipse in 2017. It took a lot of convincing to get him to try wading in, as he did not believe the water in the American South could be warm enough for a dip, since England is on the wrong side of the convection current and never gets warm enough for a comfortable swim. Mick would later go on to swim with manatees in Florida, which he loved, although he did not enjoy his snorkel mask filling with water.
Mick's other hobbies included listening to music - mostly Classic Rock, playing golf, pool and occasionally chess. He adamantly did not like to do "that walking thing," but was happy to tag along on Brandy's photography expeditions as long as they didn't involve much hiking or if he could sit in the car while he waited for her. He was fascinated by the night sky, and would drive around with his wife to try to find good spots for viewing meteor showers, planetary alignments, lunar eclipses, or auroras. He fondly remembered watching the first moon landing, and writing to NASA as a kid. They managed to catch two displays of the aurora borealis - a faint one at Kinzua Point, and a pink and green one at Stone Tower, outside of Salamanca, New York.
Mick was loved by virtually everyone - and every animal - that met him. He especially loved dogs, although he was not willing to get any more because he said it made him too sad when they died. He was a magnet for cats, even though he always said he could not love them as much as dogs. He will be remembered for his devotion to his family, his lively banter, and his ability to problem solve construction challenges for any application anyone desired.
A memorial service will be held at the Timothy E. Hartle Funeral Home & Cremation Services at 1328 Elk Street in Franklin, Pennsylvania on Saturday, November 7, 2026, at 3 PM, with an hour of visiting before.
Timothy E. Hartle Funeral Home & Cremation Services has been entrusted with the honor and care of Mick. Online condolences may be left at www.hartlefuneralhome.com.