Rebecca Jean "Becky" Hiatt

Rebecca "Becky" J. Hiatt, 63, of Ames, passed away Saturday, October 25, 2025, at Accura Healthcare of Ames.
A Celebration of Becky's Life will be held from 3:00 - 5:00 PM on Saturday, November 8, 2025, at The Parlor, 119 Washington, in Ames. Casual attire and Iowa State Cyclones clothing are welcomed.
Rebecca Jean Hiatt was born February 27, 1962, to Bill and Virginia (Cole) Hiatt in Shenandoah, Iowa. She attended public schools, graduating from Shenandoah Community School with the Class of 1980. Following graduation, she attended Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa, graduating in 1982 with an AAS in Civil Engineering. She later attended Iowa State University, where she graduated with a BS degree in Civil Engineering in 1990.
Becky worked for Oakview Construction Company in Red Oak, Iowa in 1982, where they constructed a sewage waste facility for the City of Glenwood, Iowa. In 1983, she started with Soil Conservation Service in Shenandoah, later in Council Bluffs and Sioux City.
In 1990, Becky was accepted into the Federal Highway Administration Engineer Training Program. This consisted of six months in Laurel, Maryland, doing bridge inspections, four months in Albany, New York in the Federal Aid Office administering funds to the New York State Department of Transportation. Then five months in Austin, Texas working alongside a consultant company on the Strategic Highway Research Program, followed by a year in Cheyenne, Wyoming, split between the Wyoming DOT and, again, administrating federal funding to the State of Wyoming.
In 1992, Becky returned to live in Nevada, Iowa, and began her career working in at the Federal Highway Administration Office in Ames. She held a variety of positions, including mentoring ISU engineer interns and eventually being promoted to Team Manager. It was during this return to Iowa that she helped her mother re-establish her career and eventually Becky became her mother's caretaker.
In the summer of 2000, Becky and her mom moved to Ames in order to be closer to medical services and Becky's office. She retired early from FHWA in 2015 due to health concerns.
Becky enjoyed needlework, especially the lost art of hardanger, including klostersom, piecework and various crafts. She was an avid fan of ISU sports, especially women's basketball and volleyball She also enjoyed figuring out challenging brain games involving numbers, visiting family and friends, helping with home construction projects. Even though her physical health declined, she still mentored kids with their homework, school challenges, and supervising carpentry, drafting, and building plans. Becky volunteered annually to help seniors and others with their income tax forms even up until this last tax season.
Becky was an engineer through and through; professionally and personally analyzing everything with mathematics and construction. To those that were privileged to see beyond her more concrete thinking, you would also see that she will also be remembered as a very kind, unassuming, loyal friend and relative with a heart of gold. One that had an extra special place in her heart for dogs, and people that were disadvantaged or down on their luck.
Becky is survived by her siblings, Virginia (Paul) Thompson of Rochester, Minnesota, Melinda (Michael) Whisler of Hickman, Nebraska, Elizabeth Hiatt of Ames, Iowa, and Christine Hiatt of Nevada, Iowa; her nieces and nephews: Dr. Greg and Dr. Kylie Thompson and their son, Franklin, of Shoreview, Minnesota; Jeff and Katrina (Wagner) Thompson and their son, Kai, of Rochester, Minnesota; as well as Abigail, Jack and Mary Collins of Nevada, Iowa.; along with her loved and loyal dogs, Trixie and Maggie; and many extended family members and friends.
Becky was preceded in death by her parents and brother William "Bill" Hiatt in 2013.
In lieu of flowers and other customary remembrances, Becky's family suggests that memorial contributions can be made to Story County Animal Shelter and sent to the family's attention at Grandon Funeral and Cremation Care, 414 Lincoln Way, Ames, Iowa, 50010.