Heather McLellan Asta

Heather McLellan Asta, née Heather Rebecca McLellan, passed away on July 6, 2025, in Tallahassee, Florida, shortly before her fortieth birthday. She was a loving wife, aunt, sister, daughter, and friend. Heather is survived by her husband, Timothy Asta; her brother, Ryan McLellan; sisters-in-law, Lainey McLellan, Rebecca Lee, and Katharine Asta; brothers-in-law, Eric Lee and Nick Jurich; nieces, Paige, Sadie, and Nelly; nephews, Cole and Carter; and extended family and friends. Heather will forever be remembered as a loving, thoughtful, caring, brilliant, and beautiful person with a joyous spirit and infectious laugh. Born in Tallahassee, Florida, Heather lived all over the United States including Nashville, Tennessee; Atlanta, Georgia; Seattle, Washington; Denver, Colorado; and Alexandria, Virginia. She was a true world traveler, living in and visiting close to a dozen countries and countless cities across North America and Europe. She married the love of her life on December 17, 2016, at the Gingerbread House in Savannah, Georgia. Heather and her husband, Tim, have a brick outside the iconic Westcott Fountain at Florida State University, celebrating their marriage. Heather graduated with an International Baccalaureate Diploma from James S. Rickards High School in Tallahassee, Florida, before attending Vanderbilt University. She completed her Bachelor of Science degree at Georgia Institute of Technology, where she graduated with high honors. Both during her undergraduate work and after graduating from Georgia Tech, she worked at Gap, Inc., in various management roles for 8 years. She also worked in the general counsel’s office in three Florida state agencies. As a lifelong Seminoles fan, Heather returned to Tallahassee where she attained her Juris Doctor from Florida State University College of Law where she graduated cum laude. At the same time, she earned her Master of Science degree from the Florida State University Urban and Regional Planning Department, graduating magna cum laude. She served on three journals, including the Florida State University Law Review, and was President of the American Constitution Society and Historian of the American Civil Liberties Union. She cared deeply both about people’s constitutional rights and the environment. She loved cooking, fashion, and literature. Heather curated an impressive collection of cooking equipment, clothing, and a library’s worth of books. Among her favorite authors were Barbara Kingsolver and Laura Ingalls Wilder. She loved the Harry Potter collection and thrilling adventures by James Rollins. Her favorite movie was the Sound of Music and she walked down the aisle to Edelweiss, a song composed for that film. Heather was fearless, brave, and most of all strong. She survived breaking her back on her 22nd skydiving jump as well as being face to face with a hungry black bear. She loved traveling, rollercoasters, hiking, camping, watching movies, and curling up in front of a fire with a good book, her husband, and her precious baby-girl cat, Snophia. Heather was a loving wife, a loyal family member, and a good friend. She will be missed by all. In lieu of flowers please make a donation to either the Nature Conservancy or the Arbor Day Foundation. Niki Carney of Bevis Funeral Home (www.bevisfh.com or 850-385-2193) is assisting the Asta family with their arrangements.

Tributes

Heather McLellan Asta

August 10, 1985 - July 6, 2025