Claudia Hicks

After a well lived life, Claudia Maria Hicks, known as “Chick” to those who loved her, age 71, of Morehead, Kentucky, passed away Friday morning, August 2, 2019 at the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center in Lexington after a brief illness.  Born February 23, 1948, in Norfork, Virginia, she was the daughter of the late Calia Hale and Ben Hicks.  In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by a brother Ben Hicks, Jr., and sister-in-law Virginia Estep Hicks.

She is survived by her daughter Tammy Collins-Bonney and husband Steve Bonney of Morehead,  granddaughter Kathryn Bonney, brother Tim Hicks and wife Donna of Morehead, sister Terri Hale Hicks of Dania, Florida, and nieces Kristi Wilkerson and husband Charles Allen, children Carly and Landon, of Frankfort; Stachia Serafini and husband John, children Payton, Paige, Reese and Bennett of Lawrenceburg;  Tina Hicks Pendleton and daughters Laura Williams and husband Daniel, sons Kolten and Kaden, and Megan Rogers and husband Kyle of Mt. Sterling, Angela Johnson and husband Dan, sons Grant and Zach of Indianapolis, Indiana: Kelly Hicks Harrod and sons Logan and Parker of Morehead, Heather Caudill and children Callie, Declan, and Emmett of Baltimore, Maryland; she will be greatly missed by her family, a host of friends, and many former athletes and students.

Claudia retired from Rowan County Senior High School where she taught science, mainly chemistry, for 32 years.  She served as the High School’s first sanctioned girls basketball team coach and was named EKC Coach of the Year nine times and All Area Coach three times.   Claudia was selected to coach the very first Kentucky/Ohio All-Star Girls Basketball game, which Kentucky won in overtime.  She was inducted into the Kentucky Basketball Association Court of Honor in 2005.  Claudia later served as the High School Athletic Director for 12 years and served two terms on the Kentucky High School Athletic Association Board of Control.   She was inducted to the Rowan County High School Hall of Fame in 2013.  The gym floor at Rowan County Senior High School was dedicated in her honor in 2018.

Claudia officiated High School Girls Volleyball for several years and served as an advisor to the MSU Institutional Animal Care Use Committee.   She was also a member of the Morehead PEO Chapter AN. Claudia was especially passionate about the UK Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Morehead, served on its Advisory Board, and enjoyed participating in many of its programs and classes.  Claudia was an accomplished gardener and landscaper, loved canoeing and kayaking, traveling, entertaining friends and family, spoiling her faithful feline companions, and following the Rowan County Vikings, MSU, and UK athletics.

Celebration of Life services will be conducted 11:00 A.M. Wednesday, August 7th in the chapel of the Michael R. Gray Funeral Home with Dr. J. D. Reeder and Doug Jones leading the services.  Burial will follow at the Brown Cemetery in Morehead.

Pallbearers will be Dan Johnson, Charles Allen Wilkerson, John Serafini, Charlie Charles, Mitchell Collins, and Steve Bonney.  Honorary pallbearers include Kelia Moore Day, Zach Johnson, Grant Johnson, and Tyler Gamble.

Visitation will be from 5:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. on Tuesday, August 6th at the Michael R. Gray Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, please consider contributions to:

Claudia Hicks Memorial Nature Project, Citizens Bank, 114 W. Main Street, Morehead, KY 40351 or

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UK (In memory of Claudia Hicks), Ligon House, 658 South Limestone,  Lexington, KY 40506-0442