JoAnne "Lynn" Heath

 JoAnne “Lynn” Heath (Hovey, Machuta) of Potterville, Michigan passed away peacefully at home with her family by her side on February 25, 2012 after a courageous twelve-month battle with cancer.

Lynn was born in Mount Pleasant, Michigan on May 16, 1946. She was the second child of Pat and Virginia Hovey (Veit), who lived in Rosebush, Michigan. She attended Mount Pleasant High School and Central Michigan University, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts and a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education. She dedicated her entire working life to teaching children, primarily at Farwell Elementary School in Farwell, Michigan.

She met Fred Heath in 1987, and they were married in 1991. She and Fred were fortunate to retire at a young age and moved to Potterville, Michigan in 2001 to be closer to her daughter, son-in-law and their grandchildren. Lynn adored her husband, children and grandchildren, and spent much of her life dedicated to their happiness and well-being.

Lynn was preceded in death by her parents, her brother-in-law, John Murphy, and her Aunt and best friend, Karen Knickerbocker (Veit). Similar in age, Karen and Lynn grew up together and shared a lifelong love of birds, flowers and baked goods. We are comforted in knowing that Lynn and Karen can now freely walk together and enjoy nature in “Veit’s Woods” and sunsets on the shores of Lake Michigan.

She will be terribly missed by her husband, Fred Heath, daughter Jennifer (David) Marsh and her grandsons, Joshua and Jacob Marsh, all of Holt, Michigan, her son, J.P. Machuta (Adam Toosley) of Chicago, Illinois, her stepdaughter, Christine (Dan) Heath and granddaughter Samantha Heath, all of Houston, Texas, her three siblings, sister Rebecca Hovey, sister Roxy Murphy and brother Larry (Sandy) Hovey, all of Rosebush, Michigan, and numerous loving aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

There will be a memorial service on Saturday, March 3, 2012 at Estes-Leadley Greater Lansing Chapel, 325 W. Washtenaw St., Lansing, MI 48933 at 12:00 p.m. with visitation with the family starting at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the American Cancer Society.