Heath Coffield

Heath Lauer Coffield, 68 of Chicago, Illinois, passed away peacefully in her home, with her daughter by her side, on Saturday, November 8, 2008 after a 10 year long struggle with Early Onset Alzheimer’s and probable Frontotemporal dementia. Heath was born on August 20, 1940 in Highland Park, Illinois to Charles F. and Sylvia McKay Lauer. She grew up on Orchard Lane in Wilmette and graduated from New Trier High School in 1958. Heath then attended St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY where she was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and recognized as an accomplished fine arts student whose works were exhibited at Middlebury College in Vermont . Upon graduation, she was married to her childhood friend, Michael W. Coffield on June 6, 1962 and they spent the next two years teaching at Chung Chi University in Hong Kong. Mike and Heath enjoyed 45 years of marriage and friendship until his untimely passing in March of 2007. Heath was a devoted wife and mother and raised her family in Evanston, IL and thenn in Winnetka, IL where she spent countless hours volunteering for Hadley School for the Blind and taking care of her much loved friends and family. She was a wonderful cook and homemaker and described by her friends as “a girl who loved a party”. Always looking for ways to bring comfort to others’, Heath was a woman with a remarkable spirit and zest for life. She was a selfless person who tried to take care of her caregivers even as her dementia progressed. She was a lover of the outdoors, and enjoyed tennis and skiing and golf as well as hiking and camping with her family. Dogs and babies also brought her endless joy. In her final 20 months of life, she lived in Fort Collins, Colorado near her daughter Kate, under 24-hour care. During that time, Heath displayed incredible courage and grace as the dementia robbed her of her ability to communicate through words. She remained active until the very end, walking and riding a three-wheeled bicycle under the constant supervision of live-in caregivers. Her family is forever indebted to the friends and family who made her care possible. She was deeply loved and will be deeply missed. She is survived by her sisters, Jennifer Bevington and Karen Lindenmeyer, her daughters, Heather (Erik) Barefield and Kate (Rich) Aiello, her grandsons, Michael, Jack, Blake and Connor and many loving nieces and nephews. Services are to be held at Old St. Pat’s Church in Chicago, Illinois on Saturday, November 22nd at 9:30 am. A graveside service will immediately follow at All Saint’s Catholic Cemetery, 700 River Road, DesPlaines, Il. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Heath Coffield Grandchildren’s Education Fund in care of Goes Funeral Care in Fort Collins, Colorado. Charitable contributions may be made to The Home Instead Senior Care Foundation in memory of Heath Coffield, and also sent to Goes Funeral Care 3665 Canal Drive Fort Collins, CO 80524. For more updated information, go to www.goesfuneralcare.com or call them at (970)482-2221.

Heath Coffield

August 20, 1940 - November 8, 2008