About the John J Heath Jr. Foundation
John J Heath Jr. was a beloved husband, devoted father, cherished grandfather, and lifelong sports fan. John was the kind of man who mowed his neighbors' lawns, shoveled snow for them, helped anyone in need, and genuinely cared for everyone. He coached over 20 years of baseball, soccer, and softball teams in the community and helped hundreds of children develop a love of sports and adopt sportsmanship qualities.
In 2018, John was diagnosed with Stage 4 Squamous Carcinoma and underwent a 15+ hour-long surgery and later, radiation and chemotherapy. Although given an all-clear status in December 2019, new pain revealed the cancer had spread in 2020. Even after additional rounds of chemo, John died peacefully with his family surrounding him on August 6, 2020.
That's why we started this foundation, to carry on his legacy.
John was an incredible person and always believed that sportsmanship was the key to being a great athlete. He instilled this in his three children and all those he coached.
The foundation currently supports 4 main initiatives. Our spring fundraiser, Johnny's Bull and Beer Bash, is a fun dinner with great music, delicious food, and a silent auction. The Swami Classic Golf Outing is our fall fundraiser as everyone enjoys a great day out on the green. The funds from these two events go directly to the John J Heath Jr. Sportsmanship Award for two upcoming local high school graduates. Most recently, we've expanded to use additional funding for Johnny's Care Kits for Chemo. These kits are lovingly put together to support people who are on a similar journey with chemo that John went through.
Thank you for reading John's story. We hope you are moved by his incredible kindness and spirit and that you will join us in our mission.
Sincerely,
Kelly C Heath
Dominic J Heath
Vincent J Heath
Megan K Heath-Warfield
Lisa Rogers-Smick
Fred Ellick
Gary Howell
Contact Us:
Meet the Board
Kelly Heath
Founder/President
John & Kelly met and a year later knew it was forever and started their family. They were married for 38 years; they have 3 kids and 6 grandkids. She was a caterer/chef for 30 years; now retired and runs the foundation. You can find Kelly with her family in her free time or in the kitchen baking delicious treats. She founded this organization to keep John’s name alive and celebrate what a great human he was.
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