Obituary of Violet "Vi" Jean Heath

On Tuesday, December 14, 2021 Violet "Vi" Jean Heath, beloved mother, grandmother, and aunt passed away in Colorado Springs, Colorado at age 93. Entirely in keeping with Vi's spirit, and as if to herald her departure, the following day a windstorm rocked Colorado Springs, causing power outages and uprooting trees in the old north neighborhood where she lived.Violet Jean was born to Ray and Marie Pine on July 19, 1928, in Derby, Ohio. She grew up on a farm in rural Ohio with her sister, Norma Lee and two brothers, Charles, and Danny.Upon her marriage to Laurence Hoey, they moved to a farm in Tarlton, Ohio. Vi worked as a keypunch operator for IBM and as a car hop at a drive-in diner, all while running a farm and raising their two boys, Charles, and David. Laurence, who was in the army, was frequently deployed to Korea during these years. The farm had many residents during Vi's reign including cows, sheep, pigs, chickens, rabbits, dogs, and semi-domesticated raccoons. When she wasn't disciplining her sheep, appropriately named, Trouble, she was entertaining her family with pranks and jokes. Laurence's army duties took the family to Washington in 1956 and Texas in 1959. When the boys were grown, Vi moved to Colorado as a single woman. In the early 1960's, she married Robert "Bob" Heath who delivered pies to the coffee shop where she worked. She loved to tell the story of the pie man that she refused to date but from whom she would accept a marriage proposal. Vi and Bob enjoyed their lives together. Their days were often filled with golf, bowling, snowmobiling, fishing, or cross-country skiing. Vi later worked in the financial department at Sears, and eventually became an accountant, building her business to serve over 600 clients. She would often encourage them to go to the kitchen and have some coffee, make themselves a sandwich, and relax while she worked on their taxes. Many of her clients became lifelong friends. A bout of pneumonia after a particularly busy tax season brought about her retirement in 2018 at the age of 90. Throughout her life Vi proved to have incredible determination and perseverance. She is remembered for her wit and hospitality which was usually displayed over a home-cooked meal followed by a 500 rummy card game. She had a great love for the mountains and with her husband, built a cabin on their property in Lake George using materials from a demolished barn. She took great pride in the lumber and old nails that they personally and lovingly incorporated into the cabin. Her heart and soul were invested in that lovely piece of heaven. It was her wish to have her ashes spread there to join her husband and son. She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Heath; and son, Lawrence David Hoey. She is survived by son, Charles Hoey; grandchildren, David Hoey, Theresa Hoey, and Marcus Hoey; daughters-in-law, Lucy Hoey, and Diane Hoey; nieces and nephews, Jack Pine, and Edward VanhouseFincher who cared for Vi during her final days; her many friends; and her beloved dog and constant companion, Pebbles who is living with Vi's friend, Mel. Vi did not want a funeral service. However, if you are interested in attending a casual online get together soon for family and friends to remember her remarkable life, please email Diane Hoey at hoeydiane1@gmail.com.There will be a dedication ceremony at the cabin sometime in the spring hosted by Vi's nephew, Jack Pine. We ask that those who loved her and want to contribute in some way consider donating in Vi's memory to the Lake George Association (lakegeorgeassociation.org) to preserve Lake George.