Linda Heath

Linda Heath, 82, of Pemberville, Ohio, passed away peacefully on Friday, August 15th, 2025. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on January 17th, 1943, to John and Norma (Mallory) Cimino. As a teenager, Linda began attending the Blue Church in Springfield, Pennsylvania, where her faith journey was nurtured under the teaching of Pastor Robert Cressy. She attended Bradley University and, before beginning her career as a Christian school teacher, she worked as a lifeguard and water safety instructor-roles that reflected both her strong work ethic and her care for others. Linda later met her husband, Dan, at an InterVarsity Christian Fellowship event at Keswick Bible Conference in New Jersey, and they were married in September 1969 at Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia.

Over the course of their 56-year marriage, Linda and Dan crisscrossed the country, building a warm and nurturing home for their family in each community they joined, from California and Florida to New York, Connecticut, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. Linda had a gift for creating beauty and joy in everyday life. She loved sewing, crocheting, machine embroidery, gardening, camping trips, and board games, always sharing her passions with her ever-growing family.Together with Dan, she raised five children, welcomed many foster children, and celebrated the arrival of 16 grandchildren. A lifelong lover of books, Linda spent countless hours reading aloud to her children and grandchildren, who especially cherished her renditions of The Little House on the Prairie and The Chronicles of Narnia. Most recently, she was delighted to learn that her first great-grandchild is expected this December. Linda and Dan remained members at the Blue Church and maintained many friendships within the congregation. Linda always enjoyed returning to her original church community for the Annual Christmas Tea each December, sometimes with daughters or granddaughters in tow. In retirement, for many years, Linda and Dan were a part of the Pennwood Bible Church community in Everett, Pennsylvania. In the winters, they escaped the Pennsylvania cold and snow in a seniors' community near Sebring, Florida.

Linda is survived by her husband Dan; children, Lisa (Todd) Mailey, Julie (Paul) Atkinson, Tammy, Leanne (Ryan) De la Pena, and Stephen; 16 grandchildren; and her siblings Nancy, Joan, Betsy, Ginny and Johnny.

Family and friends may visit Eggleston Meinert & Pavley Funeral Home, Millbury Chapel, 1111 Woodville Road, Millbury, Ohio on Thursday, August 21st, 2025 from 10am-1:00pm, with a funeral service beginning at 1pm and interment following at Eisenhouer Cemetery. Following the interment, the family will also share a meal and greet friends at Lemoyne Baptist Church, 25020 Bradner Rd, Genoa, OH 43430 from 2:30pm.

In recent years, Linda sewed hundreds of beautiful drawstring cloth bags for the annual Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Campaign. Expressions of sympathy in Linda's name may be directed to Samaritan's Purse.

To view Linda's funeral service via livestream, please click on this link https://youtube.com/live/lBc3IF8cVB0?feature=share after 12:45 pm Thursday, August 21, 2025.i