Grace Dado Hicks

Grace Dado Hicks, age 89, sadly passed away, surrounded by her loved ones, and gained eternal life on September 25, 2022. She was born on February 1, 1933 in Majestic, Kentucky to the late Angelo and Josephine Dado. She was the oldest of 9 children, and grew up in Majestic, KY, graduating from Phelps High School in 1952. Leaving home after high school, she would always send her siblings Christmas presents, which they looked forward to every year as kids. Grace loved reading, especially comic books as a kid which she called “funny books “and would always read to her siblings. While at one her favorite places, Virginia Beach, Virginia, she met the love of her life, Wayne Hicks. They were just 2 months shy of 64 years of marriage before he passed in October of 2021. Grace was a telephone operator at Ohio Bell Telephone Company in Columbus, Ohio for 30 years until her retirement in 1983. Her co-workers called her “social butterfly” because she was friendly and talked to everyone. She moved to Natchitoches, Louisiana with her husband & kids after retirement. Grace loved singing at church. She was on the bowling team, winning many awards in Natchitoches and Ohio. She loved watching game shows, and growing flowers, fruits and vegetables, her favorite being tomatoes. She loved sitting on the porch with a cup of coffee, enjoying the weather. Grace loved playing with her grandkids, and cooking for them. She also loved going on vacations with her family especially to the beach & Branson, MO. In addition to her parents and husband, Grace is preceded in death by her 2 sons, David Hicks and Derrick Hicks Amoriko; 3 brothers, Angelo Dado Jr, Ralph “Moose” Dado, and Phillip “Philly” Dado and 1 sister, Nannie Reed. She leaves behind to cherish her memories, her only daughter, Regina Hartley (Bill); sisters Deloris “Sissy” McHugh, Rosalee Dado Coogan, & Cathy Smith (Clifford); brother, Joe Dado (Carrie), 4 granddaughters, Michelle Longden (Nick), Robyn Coutee, Allison McKneely, and Rosalee Amoriko; 8 great-grandchildren, Marisela Coutee, Gabriel Coutee, Joshua Pearrie Jr., Kylie Longden, Nadia Foshee, Layla Foshee, Bryce Longden, Destiny Jones, and 1 great-great-granddaughter, Naomi Coutee. She also leaves behind many nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws and friends throughout Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio. Her family was everything to her. She is greatly loved and will be deeply missed! Her family will receive friends for visitation on, Saturday, October 1, 2022 at 10 am at Calvary Baptist Church in Natchitoches, La. Services will start at 1 pm. Burial will follow at Calvary. Those honored to serve as pallbearers will be Joshua Pearrie Jr., Rev. Tim Leach, Robert Funderburk, Hayden Harris, Jim Hicks, and Chris DeVargas. Honorary pallbearers will be Bill Hartley, Bruce Bedgood, and Gage Hicks.