NORMAN — V. Virginia Heath, 88, passed away Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013, after a short illness, during which she was surrounded and comforted by her loving and devoted family.
Services will be 1 p.m. Sunday at the Becker Funeral Home in Lawton.
She was born in Chickasha on March 25, 1924, to Henry George and Della Mabel Splawn Burkhart and was the youngest of three girls. After school, the girls would work for 25 cents a day at Pawdad’s Café. Virginia graduated from Chickasha High School and continued to work at the café where she met her future husband, Arnold Heath. She Moved to Yuma, Ariz., to be near her sisters. Arnold followed her to Yuma, where they were married on Sept. 20, 1943. There were married almost 68 years before Arnold died in 2010.
After living briefly in Chickasha and New Mexico, they moved to Lawton in 1950 and lived there for 50 years and raised three children. Virginia was a well-known volunteer in all her children’s activities. She was a member and officer of the American Business Women’s Association and the VFW Women’s Auxiliary where she made life-long friends. When her children were in junior and senior high school, she began working at Compton Pharmacy and worked there for many years.
She was predeceased by her parents; her sister, Doris; her grandson, Andrew; and her husband, Arnold.
She is survived by her sister, Anna Louise Garlock of Glendale, Ariz.; her daughter, Darlene (Richard) Epstein of Bainbridge Island, Wash.; her sons Ronald of Oklahoma City and Rick (Elizabeth) of Norman; and her grandchildren Chavis Heath (fiancee Regan Watjus) of Eugene, Ore., Destin Heath of Louisville, Ky., Shelby Heath of Norman, Jennifer Lapin, Ian Ritchie (Torie) and Gregory Epstein (Carmen), all of Bainbridge Island, and Dennis Epstein (Rebecca) of Ridgefield, Wash. She is also survived by her five great-grandchildren, Andrew Epstein, Anna Lapin, Ian Heath Ritchie Jr. (JR), Dallas Ritchie and Jazz Epstein.
The Heath family had great importance to Virginia and she became a vital component of the family history. She embraced her brother/sisters-in-law and was lovingly devoted to her many nieces and nephews. She was adored and loved by her family and she returned that love tenfold.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests making a contribution to the charity of your choice.
Norman Transcript, Friday, March 1, 2013
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