Hillary Autumn Pruitt

Hillary Autumn Pruitt, age 33, of North Utica, passed away on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, following a courageous battle with cancer. She was surrounded by her loving family and friends at Wynn Hospital in Utica for the days leading up to and at the time of her passing.

Hillary was born in Radford, Virginia, the daughter of Heather Stoots and James White, Jr. She was raised and educated in Virginia, graduating from Pulaski County High School in Dublin, VA. Her journey eventually took her to central NY to be alongside her mother. She started rebuilding her life and held many small jobs around the city of Watertown, which is where she met the love of her life, Austin Pruitt. Over the course of many years together, they eventually moved to the Utica area, where Austin was born and raised. They ultimately called this home and began building their beautiful life together. She worked as an operations coordinator at M&T Bank, and most recently worked for MetLife as a CSS, where she developed a tight bond with her team.

On February 4, 2022, on a brisk winter evening over the frozen water at their family camp in Chaumont Bay. Hillary & Austin officially did the “I do’s” with a small group of family and friends by their side. What followed was a four-year marriage filled with deep love, devotion, and timeless memories.

Hillary had a vibrant personality and many passions. She loved attending concerts and was especially fond of the band The Plot in You. She took great pride in her tattoos, many of which were done by her dear friend and talented artist, Jessica Cappelli. She loved motorsports and car events you would always find her driving one of her many Volkswagens. She thoroughly enjoyed watching Formula One and rooting on her favorite driver Lewis Hamilton, often settings alarms at all hours of the night to catch a race no matter the time. On the nice summer days, she would regularly be found outside soaking up sun rays or swimming in the pool. Being near the water, especially the ocean and the beach, was one of her favorite places to be. Together with Austin, and usually a handful of close friends, they took many trips to destinations all over the country & abroad. In the winter months they enjoyed season tickets for a handful of years to the Utica Comets, ultimately forming a close friendship with the Esche family and the entire Comets organization.

All of that considered, family, friends, and her loving animals were always her priority. She made it clear even in the scariest moments that she wasn’t worried about herself or her passing. She was more worried how everyone would handle her being gone and really made it her point to let everyone know she loved them and tried to leave a lasting impression for them to remember her by.

She is survived by her husband, Austin Pruitt; her beloved sons, Carson and Alexander Pruitt; her mother, Heather Stoots; her father, James White, Jr.; her brother, Trevor Payne; her mother-in-law, Grace Pruitt; several nieces and nephews and many distant family members from Virginia. She also leaves behind many cherished friends, including Olivia Brutto, Amela Buljubasic, Paige Nadeau, and countless others whose lives she touched.

Calling hours for family and friends will be held on Friday, July 10, 2026, from 4:30 PM to 7:30 PM at Heintz Funeral Service, Inc., 408 Herkimer Road, Utica, NY. A memorial service will follow immediately after the calling hours, with Robert Nasypany officiating.

Hillary’s family wishes to express their deepest gratitude to the doctors, nurses, and entire staff at the Mohawk Valley Cancer Center and Wynn Hospital for the compassionate care and support they provided throughout her illness.