Heike W Ringgold

Heike W. Ringgold (née Worofsky), 63, passed away peacefully with her husband and daughter by her side in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Sunday, October 5, 2025.

Heike was born on April 18, 1962, in Großheubach, Germany, to Herbert and Helga Worofsky. In 1995, she married Paul Clayton Ringgold in Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Germany.

Heike earned a master's degree from George Washington University and completed her doctoral studies at The University of Mainz, in Germany.

A lifelong educator, Heike began her teaching career as a Fulbright Scholar at Westminster College in Pennsylvania and later served as a college professor at Scottsdale Community College, where she taught for ten years. Their daughter, Liesel Ringgold, was born in 2009, and together Paul and Heike have shared the joy of homeschooling her since 2020.

Heike’s passions were as diverse as her talents. Fluent in German, English, Spanish, and French, she had a deep love for languages and world cultures. A food culture historian, she found joy in cooking for family and friends and exploring the traditions behind every meal. Her adventurous spirit took her across Europe, Egypt, South Africa, Mexico, and on several cross-country road trips across the United States with her husband and daughter.

Heike was also a gifted intellectual and a devoted historian, always researching, reading, and sharing her discoveries with Paul, Liesel, and all who knew her.

Heike is now in the Kingdom of God, reunited with her beloved father, Herbert, her grandmother Anna “Omi” Regner, and many cherished relatives and friends.

A Funeral Mass will be held on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, 5045 E. Thomas Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85018.