HOUSTON — Friends and family said she was an "angel," "selfless" and "humble and kind." It seems there aren’t enough words to describe what 52-year-old Mini Vettical meant to everyone around her.
“She was that kind of a unique individual, and she never expected anything from anybody else, including from family," her husband, Celestine, said.
He described the woman who was -- among other things -- an avid dancer, painter, blogger, and seemingly good at everything she did.
“It's like, anything she touches, she puts her heart into it," Celestine said.
Vettical was a Baylor faculty member and worked primarily at Harris Health clinics.
On Wednesday, family members said Vettical was on her way home from work when she died in a crash in southeast Houston. Police said she was hit by a speeding motorcycle.
In addition to medically helping underserved populations throughout Houston, family and friends said Mini was actively involved in organizations like Pratham Houston and the Houston Area Women’s Center. She was also a class volunteer and involved in the church and dancing theatre.
“I don't know how Mini did it. She baked more cakes than any mother I know or any woman I know on the weekend," her friend Marie Myers said. "She's just absolutely amazing. And she's touched the hearts and lives of so many,"
She knew Vettical for more than 20 years.
No matter how much Mini had on her plate, her daughter Pooja -- the eldest of Mini’s five kids -- said she always made time for her most important job of all – being a mom.
“She’s beautiful on the outside, but surely the most beautiful person on the inside," Pooja said. "I'll always have her as my inspiration. And I know I will never live up to it, but I know that she will always be there as a role model.”
Family members said her legacy will live on through all the good she did.
“She is really out here, you know, among us," Celestine said.
Statement
”Dr. Vettical was devoted to caring for the underprivileged and underserved in Harris County at multiple health centers. The Baylor Family Medicine community is in shock and disbelief. Her beloved personality will be tremendously missed by faculty and staff. She leaves a gap that is hard to fill among her colleagues and patients.