WARREN — Keith B. Heal, 50 of Warren, Maine died Monday, February 11, 2019 at the Sussman House in Rockport after a short, but brave, battle with esophageal cancer. He was surrounded by his entire family and we are grateful that he got to say what he wanted to everyone before he passed from this life to the next. He knew he was being called and would be joining his parents soon.

Born April 22, 1968 in Camden, Maine to Orman O. Heal, Sr. and Mary Ellen (Johnson) Heal, he was a 1986 graduate of Camden Rockport High School. During high school he also attended Mid-Coast School of Technology where he received his Class A License.

Keith’s whole life was devoted to his daughters and he had immense pride in the things that they accomplished and was anxiously awaiting his youngest daughters high school graduation in June, as well as his oldest daughter’s college graduation in May of 2020. To him beating the cancer and making it to these events was what he wanted. Although our time with him was cut short and he will not be able to attend these events in person, his legacy will live on in the eyes and hearts of his two girls.

For over twenty years he was employed as a Utility Supervisor with Lucas Tree Experts in Portland and was still currently certified as a licensed Arborist for the State of Maine. For the past 8 years, he has been employed by the City of Rockland Public Services Department as a Light Equipment Operator. He loved his job and his coworkers and spent many a night plowing the City streets to keep them safe and passable for the residents.

When not working, Keith could be found enjoying all of the things that the fine State that he was born in, raised in, and loved offered. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, ice fishing and also enjoying the company of his closest friends, his brothers and his nephews.  Many a weekend was spent at camps all over the state hunting the elusive buck, the hidden bass and really just enjoying the company of the people that he loved most.

Keith was a silent man but his devotion to the people and things that he loved was immense. He was loyal to the things and people that he believed in and was never one to judge or make assumptions and always had a helping hand for anyone that needed it.

To say that our family’s heart is broken is an understatement and we encourage everyone to live their lives as Keith did, as a husband, a father, a brother and a friend.

He was an avid Red Sox fan and in turn, an enemy of the New York Yankees.  He could tell you every name, stat and score because he could be found every weekend watching the game and coaching from the couch.

He was given a gift by his daughter Marissa in April of 2018 of two great tickets to a Rex Sox Yankee game and he was honored to take Morgan who shared his love of baseball and the Red Sox.  

He was a person that truly enjoyed the time spent with his family playing board games and card games. He once made Cheryl and his girls wait 35 minutes playing Scrabble because he would not pass his turn because he refused to not play the Q that he had in his hand. Ultimately the girls ate lunch and watched in awe as he refused to budge. He did not get to play the Q.

In his younger years he always was known as the brother that sat with the women in his family gaining intel that he could report back to his father, his brothers and his brothers-in-law. He relayed information like no one else could.

He married Cheryl Alley Heal in January of 2005, and although they divorced in 2013, they remained united as a family for their girls and best friends and soul mates to each other. The love and respect for each other that they shared made it easy to co-parent and raise their kids together to be the best of both of them. They celebrated every birthday, holiday and spent as much time together as a family that they could just doing things that they enjoyed.

He was predeceased by his loving parents and an infant brother, Eric S. Heal, as well as his grandparents and several aunts and uncles.

He is survived and loved by the mother of his children, Cheryl Alley Heal of Rockland; his two daughters Marissa Necole Heal and Morgan Renee Heal of Rockland; his siblings Ricky A. Heal Sr. and his wife Maria of Warren; Katie Sullivan and her husband Jim of Woolwich; Lorri J. Butler of Rockland; Orman O. Heal Jr. and his wife Karen of Warren; and Toby J. Heal and his wife Becky of Warren.

Also, his aunt Katie Wiley of Camden, who he was especially close to. His nephews and nieces Chris Bibeau, Jennifer Cheetham, Wesley Butler, Ricky Heal Jr., Amanda Heal, Megan Sullivan, Eric Heal, Caleb Jacob, Katie Jacob and Wyatt Heal.

He is also survived by one uncle and his wife Robert and Lucille Heal of South Thomaston, and many cousins as well as a great niece and great nephew Olivia Doughty and Kevin Bibeau.

Also, he is survived by his best friend and partner in crime Arthur (Hutch) Hutchinson and his wife Candy of Rockland, as well as their daughters Emily and Amanda. Also, his youngest daughters long time boyfriend whom Keith was fond of calling “Jimmy” or “JimBo” because he knew the he hated those nicknames, James Bacon DeWalt of Rockland who Keith was not opposed to welcoming into our family someday.

The family wishes to thank the Sussman House for their care and compassion in the final hours of Keith’s life here on earth as well as Karin McDonald, Nurse Practitioner from the Palliative Care team at Maine Health. She was a blessing to the family and she was someone Keith respected and trusted as he made decisions regarding end of life care. We should all be so lucky to have someone treat us with the care that they all did as we transition from this life to the next.

Should anyone wish to make donations in Keith’s name and memory the family would like them to honor the Sussman House for their excellent care, or in honor of his two daughters love of animals, the Pope Memorial Humane Society.

A gravesite service and reception will be announced and held in the spring where Keith will be buried near his parents and brother at Oak Hill Cemetery in Camden, Maine.

Arrangements are being provided by Direct Cremation of Maine.