Mahlon L. Hetrick's Obituary
Mahlon L. Hetrick, of Fort Myers, Florida went to be with the Lord on April 1, 2025. He was 95 years of age.
Born in 1929 on a farm outside Hershey, Pennsylvania, Mahlon’s family moved to Washington, D.C. when he was 5 years old. He graduated from Anicostia High School in Washington, D.C. and was the drum major for the high school marching band.
Mahlon was drafted into the US Army and served as the division chaplain’s assistant during the Korean War. Upon returning home, he married the love of his life, Marlyn Henderson, affectionately known to all as “Molly”. In 1959, the Hetricks moved from Washington, D.C. to Fort Myers, Florida where they raised their three sons.
Deeply dedicated to serving his community, Mahlon found countless ways in which to provide for the needy and make Southwest Florida a better place to live. He was a member of the local chapter of Kiwanis International and in 2024, was recognized for the extraordinary accomplishment of being a part of that organization for over 60 years. Mahlon was also on the Board of Trustees of the Edison Pageant of Light and was elected to a term as President of the Board in the late 1960s.
His tireless service to the community was exceeded only by his deep dedication to his Christian faith. He served in churches and other faith-based ministries in a number of different capacities over his lifetime. For many years, he was a traveling worship leader for church revivals, first in the Washington, DC area and then later, in Southwest Florida. Mahlon was a longtime volunteer for the Billy Graham Association and a devoted member of CBMC (Christian Business Men’s Connection), mentoring many business and professional men in their spiritual walk over the years.
After a long successful career at First Federal of Fort Myers, Mahlon founded Christian Financial Counseling in 1982. This was a major cornerstone of his legacy. He served the community through CFC for 31 years until his retirement in 2013 at age 83. Over the course of his time with Christian Financial Counseling, Mahlon provided counseling to over 20,000 people, helping them to eliminate overwhelming debt and giving them the tools to properly budget for their future. He presented 272 church seminars, 46 business seminars, and authored three books on Biblical principles of money management. It became his passion to provide the necessary guidance to help people move from financial insecurity to stability. An amazing hallmark of CFC is that throughout those 31 years, Mahlon never charged any fees for his services. Instead, this nonprofit ministry was funded solely through donations.
Mahlon was preceded in death by his loving wife of 70 years, Marlyn (“Molly”) Hetrick; his parents, Carrie and Mark Hetrick, and his 4 siblings. He is survived by his three sons, Gary (Carol) Hetrick, Daniel Hetrick, and Kenneth (Carol) Hetrick; 6 grandchildren, Matthew Hetrick, Mark Hetrick, Stacia Delaney, Adam (Kelsey) Hetrick, Holly (Andrew) Etchison and Keith (Ally) Hetrick; and 8 great-grandchildren, John, Keeley, Emma, Carter,
Brooks, Ethan, Andi, and Everett; and countless other relatives and dear friends.
A Funeral Service for Mr. Hetrick will be celebrated at 11:00AM on Saturday, April 12, 2025 inside the Chapel at Fort Myers Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, 1589 Colonial Boulevard, Fort Myers, Florida 33907, (239) 936-0555. Guests will be received at the chapel for a half-hour preceding the ceremony, beginning at 10:30AM. At the conclusion of the service, family and friends will recess to adjacent Memorial Gardens Cemetery where Mahlon will be laid to rest beside his wife, Marlyn, at the family Crypt inside the Mausoleum at the Hall of Crucifixion.
Family and friends alike will remember an exceptional life well-lived and celebrate the many ways in which Mahlon served to make this world a better place.
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