Obituary of Patricia A. Heath

Patricia Ann Marie Heath, of Belfast, passed away peacefully, on April 7th, under the Pink Moon, after a courageous acceptance of her terminal cancer diagnosis, and a life well lived. She was born on May 29, 1958, in Augusta to Mildred and Walter Heath, and was one of six children. Patty grew up in the Augusta area and attended Cony High School where she was an outstanding athlete in Field Hockey, Basketball and Softball. It was in High School that Patty’s love for singing really started to shape her world and she would sing on the school bus, with one of her best childhood friends, and later in a band called skyhigh. Patty was a lifelong student who studied Music at the University of Maine in Augusta and then at Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania. She was a Master Gardener and student of Buddhism. She taught herself to paint, play guitar and harmonica, make jewelry, create labyrinths, drywall, sculpt and build puppet houses. Wherever she lived, Patty spread her love of music and moved people when she would sing. Patty was a Unitarian Universalist and was a member of the UU Church of St. Johnsbury, VT and the UU Church of Belfast, ME. She believed deeply that every person has inherent worth and dignity and she was a true steward of the Earth. When it came to the push for social justice and equality, Patty was fierce and at her finest. She practiced peaceful protest with an artful fire, and had a cardboard sign painted and ready for any occasion. She was an organizer of the Belfast Peace Festival, Belfast Pride Festival, and the Belfast March for Our Lives protest, drawing hundreds of people for each of those events. Upon arriving in Belfast, she organized a LGTBQ+ youth group at the UU Church of Belfast, creating a space for high school students to support one another, and encouraging them to be their authentic selves. Patty had big ideas and the grit to turn a dream into reality. Patty was a lover of fresh water and pine soaked air. She sighed relief when the cooler autumn days arrived and color exploded across the White Mountains, the Green Mountains, or across Midcoast and Central Maine. Wherever Patty moved, she made sure it was a place of beauty, where she could make art and music and connect with her inner Goddess. She loved dark chocolate, dark beer, and dark harmonies. She was full of defiance and fire, and was also the kindest, dearest, most peaceful soul, who would never harm another living being. She had one, true and endless love. Patty was pre-deceased by her mother Mildred, her father Walter, her brother David, and her sister Sandra. She is survived by her sisters Nancy and Kathleen, her brother Francis, her nephew Matthew, and her niece Sara. Patty had a family of friends that spanned from coast to coast, more friends than could ever be listed here, and she leaves behind a trail of broken and deeply grateful hearts. In lieu of flowers, Patty requested that donations in her name be made to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Belfast 37 Miller Street Belfast, ME 04915. When life returns to normal, her friends will throw one hell of a party to celebrate her vivid and authentic life.