Eyvette Lopez Hetherington

Eyvette Lopez Hetherington, beloved wife, mother, daughter, sister, Tia, and friend passed away on Sunday, the 12th of November 2023 after an eight year battle with colon cancer. She was 52 years of age. She leaves behind an amazing life of courage, hope, love, and generosity. Eyvette died the way she lived—on her own terms and fighting for every last minute she had with us. She died surrounded by her husband and sisters and under the care of the tremendous doctors and nurses at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Eyvette was born on the 13th of February 1971, with her twin sister, Michelle, in New York, New York to Alvaro Lopez and Clara Luz Gutierrez. She learned the importance of family at a young age as she spent her summers in Colombia with her twin sister, grandparents and many aunts, uncles and cousins. She moved to Houston when she was eight, and ultimately graduated from Bellaire High School in 1989. She went on to the University of Texas, where she earned her undergraduate degree in Spanish in 1992, followed by a joint MBA/JD post graduate program in which she pursued her law degree and did post graduate work in Latin American Studies. She earned her law degree from the University of Texas School of Law in 1998.

She began her career at Bracewell & Patterson LLP as an attorney in the Latin American business group. She was a star associate at the firm and highly regarded for her work ethic, talent and legal acumen. After several years, she left Bracewell to work for Reliant Energy, where she rose through the ranks of the legal department and was ultimately named General Counsel of Reliant’s retail division. When Reliant was acquired by NRG, she was promoted to General Counsel. She was a highly accomplished attorney with a tremendous professional future, but in 2010 she left the practice of law to pursue what she saw as a higher calling—being a full-time stay at home mom to Ellie and Tommy.

Eyvette’s children were the greatest gifts of her life, and she loved them with her whole heart each day. She took great pleasure in all the time spent with her kids, whether hiking, skiing or mountain biking in Colorado, attending their ball games and performances, volunteering at their schools, or simply going through life’s routine day to day activities. She loved baseball and our baseball families from West University Little League through tournament and high school ball. She treasured the opportunity to watch Tommy’s games and spend time with her many baseball friends. She loved attending Ellie’s vocal performances and was thrilled each time Ellie performed the National Anthem. She loved her home in Winter Park, Colorado. She rejoiced in the simple pleasures of life like long walks, beautiful sunsets, watching the hummingbirds, and spending each Thanksgiving with family and friends. She loved her dogs, her morning coffee, daily crosswords, listening to jazz, cranberry bagels, a good burger and her emergency well-hidden snickers bars. She loved regular life and she wanted to keep living it as long as she could.

In November of 2015, she was diagnosed with colon cancer. Years of surgeries, chemotherapy, clinical trials, and radiation followed. She never let it slow her down. In her last weeks she insisted on driving her kids to school, attending their activities and appointments, and helping them with their homework. She tenaciously pursued treatments until her final days hoping that each one would give her a chance to keep living. She never stopped fighting.

Eyvette was a force for good in her community. She served on the Annunciation Orthodox School Board of Trustees, and volunteered her time as substitute teacher, library assistant, and in countless other roles at AOS. She loved the AOS Community. Along with her husband, she endowed the Thomas & Eyvette Hetherington Scholarship at the University of Houston Law Center, which is awarded annually to a student that has overcome challenges in life, but is performing at a high level in law school. Additionally, she made noteworthy gifts to the University of Houston Law Center, the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Rice University athletics, and the Annunciation Orthodox School.

Eyvette is survived by her husband of nineteen years, Thomas F.A. Hetherington, her daughter, Ella Rose Hetherington, her son, Thomas Francis Hetherington, her stepdaughter, Blake Hartley Hetherington, her parents Alvaro Lopez and Clara Castaneda, her beloved sister, Michelle Lopez Varma and her husband Rishi Varma, her beloved sister, Lara Gago Rogers and her husband Steve Rogers, and her beloved nieces and nephews, Sebastian Varma, Nina Varma, Lucia Varma, Tallan Rogers, Asher Rogers, and Keane Rogers each of whom she loved as her own.

The Hetherington Family would like to thank the AOS and Episcopal High School communities for their outpouring of support for our family with a special acknowledgment to the Chin, Patterson, Khalil, Griggs, Connor, Airhart, and Miller families. You drove our children, fed our family, walked our dogs, and provided great comfort and support these many years. We would also like to acknowledge the exceptional care and support provided to Eyvette by the doctors, nurses, and staff at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, with a special thanks to Drs. Arvind Dasari, Ecaterina Dumbrava, and Horiana Grosu. Finally, a special acknowledgment to Eyvette’s dear friend, Melicia Tjoa. You were her guardian angel these last years and your friendship greatly enriched her life.

Eyvette was fond of saying that we should “be the change we want to see in the world.” She lived her life in pursuit of that goal each and every day. She was a treasure and will be greatly missed. The pain is over now. There is only joy. May God rest her soul.

Friends are cordially invited to gather with the family and share remembrances of Eyvette from five o'clock in the afternoon until seven o'clock in the evening on Thursday, the 16th of November, in the grand foyer of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.

A memorial service is to be conducted at eleven o'clock in the morning on Friday, the 17th of November in the Jasek Chapel of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.

In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests with gratitude that memorial contributions in her name be directed to the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, P.O. Box 4486, Houston, TX 77270; Episcopal High School, 4650 Bissonnet St. Bellaire, TX 77401; or Annunciation Orthodox School, 3600 Yoakum Blvd, Houston, TX 77006.