Frostburg, MD - FROSTBURG [mdash] Carol Ann Richardson-Heft passed away on March 28, 2026, in Rock Hall.

Carol was born March 29, 1965, in Baltimore. She was the daughter of the late Chapman Richardson and Mary Sue Richardson. Carol spent her early childhood in Virginia Beach and Suffolk, Virginia.

She graduated from Sissonville High School in Sissonville, W.Va., in 1983 as the class valedictorian. She was also an all-state athlete in basketball, volleyball, and track & field.

Carol went on to run track at Virginia Tech, where she held two collegiate records. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Secondary Education, then joined the Peace Corps and spent two years in Zaire, Africa, where she was known as "Mama Caroleen." During her time there she taught local farmers how to create and sustain tilapia fish ponds for farming and food production.

After returning home Carol moved to Chestertown, where she met and married her husband, Alan Arthur Heft. They later made their home in Still Pond.

Carol began a career as a fisheries biologist with Maryland Department of Natural Resources, specializing in largemouth bass research in the rivers of the Chesapeake Bay. Before retiring from the MD DNR, she earned her master's degree in Environmental Science from the University of Maryland and began teaching at Washington College in Chestertown.

Carol and Alan had two children, Andrew and Callie, before moving to Frostburg in 2001.

Carol devoted her time to raising their children and then began substitute teaching in local school systems. She volunteered as a host and coordinator for The Fresh Air Fund for many years. Carol also taught at Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser, W.Va., and in recent years, she served as a part-time caretaker for a close family friend.

Carol loved all sports, hiking, biking, pickleball and anything outdoors. She was a humanitarian with a love for adventure, travel and laughter. Carol made the world a better place, and she touched the lives of those around her.

She is survived by her husband, Alan Arthur Heft; son, Andrew John Heft, and his wife, Elizabeth Hawkesworth-Heft; and grandson Lincoln Heft; daughter, Callie Marie Heft; brother, Scott William Richardson, and his partner, Patty Wolak; brother-in-law, Brian Heft; sister-in-law, Holly Turner, and her husband, Russ Turner.

A celebration of life will be held on April 12 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Frostburg Community Center in Frostburg.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to The Fresh Air Fund or the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance.