George Rodney Heath

George Rodney Heath

Loved his family and outdoor activities -

George Rodney Heath, age 88, of Lemoyne , and formerly of Mechanicsburg , died at Essex House in Lemoyne on Wednesday, June 11, 2014; entering the Kingdom with all of his children and his wife at his side, reading his favorite chapter of Psalm 17, singing The Lord’s Prayer and his favorite song, "It Is No Secret".  George was born on Monday, July 13, 1925 in Towanda to the late Arthur Heath and Pearl (Towner) Heath.  George was the husband of Evelyn (Cummings) Heath whom he married on April 7, 1948.  In addition to his parents, George is preceded in death by his son, Joseph Heath, and his sister, Margaret Kring.

George’s survivors include his wife, Evelyn, of 66 years; his children: Mary Ann Stauffer and her husband Robert of Mount Joy, Barbara McNiss of Hudson, NH, David A. Heath and his wife Theda of Shermans Dale, Shirley Fink and her husband Albert of Swarthmore, Calvin R. Heath and his wife Barbara Ann of Camp Hill; 14 grandchildren; 8 great-grandchildren; his sister, Delores Reiner and her husband James of NY; and several nieces and nephews.

George graduated from Troy High School as part of the class of 1942.  His work was his life for many years, and George often said he never worked because he enjoyed it so much.  George started out working on the family farm in Burlington, PA.  From there, he moved many times throughout Pennsylvania and New York, working for GLF (now Agway).  George owned Laceyville Hardware in the 60s before moving to Mechanicsburg in 1967.  He then started his career as an Independent Manufacturers Representative, working with several companies to provide sales management and support.  Starting in the mid 1980s and until the mid 2000s, George worked with his two sons, representing various agricultural and lawn tractor companies in the Mid-Atlantic region.

George attended Oakwood Baptist Church in Camp Hill, and he was an avid reader of the Bible; sharing what he had just discovered, memorizing scripture, and praying daily for his family and friends.

George loved his family and spent as much time as he could with them.  His favorite holiday was Thanksgiving, and he and Evelyn always did it up big with traditional dishes and George's specialty, London Broil.  George enjoyed having an activity for the kids and grandkids to participate in, such as cutting down a tree and carrying the wood to the wood pile. The meal time would start with him giving a recap of the year, a time for a special chapter and verse, and a prayer.

George loved traveling and was fortunate to travel all over the world, both for business and with his wife, Evelyn.  In addition to traveling, George had a variety of interests and especially enjoyed many outdoor activities; such as fishing, canoeing, paddle-boating on the Conodoguinet Creek behind his home, being part of a sailing racing team on the Chesapeake Bay, and spending many days on his sailboat anchored at Rock Hall, MD.  George loved gardening and working in his backyard; even building a terrace with Evelyn and his Steiner tractor when he was in his 70s.  George liked sitting on the bench and looking up at the clouds and the sky, marveling at God's creation, the birds, and all of nature. George’s special outdoor activity was trying to outsmart the squirrels in the backyard. He would admit that the score was very lop-sided, with the score being squirrels - 100 and George - 1.  He also liked to invest in the stock market, but only after doing extensive research on the background and philosophy of the companies that he was investing in.

George loved meeting people, having guests stay overnight at his home, taking walks with his wife and grandchildren, and playing board games and card games with grandchildren.  The most important things in George's life were:  Evelyn, his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, the Phillies, hummingbirds, and yellow roses.  His favorite quote was “It’s a beautiful day in the Kingdom".

George was grateful for the company and companionship of all the people at his home in the Essex house.  He felt blessed to spend the last 3 1/2 years there.  The family would like to thank all who cared for George in his final days:  the amazing people at Heartland Hospice of Carlisle, PA, the entire caring and helpful nursing staff of Home Instead Senior Care of Mechanicsburg, the Oakwood Baptist Church for all their care and love for the past many years; and finally, the caring and concerned staff of the Essex House will never be forgotten by George’s entire family. The extra special little things are deeply appreciated.  Thank You!

All are welcome to join George’s family at his visitation on Monday, June 16, 2014, from 1:00 p.m. until time of service at 1:30 p.m. at Myers - Buhrig Funeral Home and Crematory , 37 East Main Street, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055; and his Memorial Service at 3:30 at Essex House , 20 North 12 ^th Street, Lemoyne, with Pastor Dean Bertsch officiating.  George’s family invites everyone to join them for a time of food and fellowship at the Essex House following the Memorial Service.

Burial in Chestnut Hill Cemetery in Mechanicsburg will be private and at the family’s convenience.  Honored to be pallbearers are: David Heath, Calvin Heath, Bert Fink, Bob Stauffer, Mike Gibson, Tim Heath, Nate McNiss, Tim Byerly, Josh Van Ostenbridge, Ed Montiel, Drew Fink, and Joel Fink.

The family suggests memorial contributions to Heartland Hospice , 1200 Walnut Bottom Road, Suite 302, Carlisle, PA 17015. George’s family has entrusted his care to Myers – Buhrig Funeral Home and Crematory in Mechanicsburg, (717) 766-3421.  Read George’s full obituary, view his memorial video and portrait, and sign his official guest book at www.Myers-Buhrig.com .