Saying Goodbye to Heather

"Heather and I. She's drinking a Blue Moon. LOL"

Last Saturday, I was asked, along with good friends Jamie and Miss Morag, to pay my respects and speak at the memorial service of my dear friend Heather Boyer. She had recently passed away after a valiant fight with a rare brain disease. Heather knew she wanted to battle this disease, if only for the very reason of helping to advance the treatment and understanding of it to hopefully prevent others from suffering from it in the future. She lost her battle but she made such an incredible impression of bravery and courageousness on her friends and family.

Being asked to speak at a dear friend's service is one of the most honorable and humbling requests of service that one can be asked of. I did it without a second's thought. It was a sad day. It was one of laughter and tears, as it should be. Her husband and children were so strong. God bless them. 

Many of you have asked me to reprint my eulogy so I am obliged to do so. Forgive me for the colloquial nature of my eulogy. 

I will miss Heather. She was that little sister I had always wanted. She gave me a run for my money. WE ALL loved her and will miss her. She affected and touched so many people in our community. 

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Good Afternoon, My name is Marc Haynes and I met Heather while we both worked at the Lake Wynonah Lodge. John and I became friends of the family through there. Thank you so much for allowing me to give my impressions of such a wonderful wife, a devoted loyal mother lioness,  and a beautiful friend. I am deeply humbled to be able to do this today. 

I will keep my remarks under 5 minutes as many of you know how long winded I can be. Heather and I had a typical brother sister type friendship with us always teasing each other at the Lodge. She would respond to my antics in her sarcastic dry witty tone. I came to consider her fondly like my little sister. Please indulge me in a couple of anecdotes which I hope will make you smile.

One of the first times I worked with Heather, I came up to her and Jamie, our other bartender and told them a dirty joke. I'm not gonna repeat it here; I actually don't remember it. Jamie in typical fashion started laughing out loud, loud enough to shatter bar glassware. Heather looked at me, rolled her eyes and smirked, and just walking away.

I was mortified as I thought I had offended her. Later in the evening I went up to her and profusely apologized. She replied in a dry tone, "Are ya kidding me? Did you see who I am married too. I married Eric Boyer. I married the Boyer's! Nothing shocks me anymore." That was Heather, tough as nails. 

During the Falls at the Lodge we hosted Eagles games on certain Sundays. Eric and Heather became a vital part of that, volunteering and helping with the event. They became one of those indispensable families you could always count on. As a thank you, at Christmas, I purchased them both cookbooks. I knew Eric loved to cook and cooked most of the time.  Heather told me, by her own admission, that she did not cook that often. She loved Eric's cooking. So I got Eric a gourmet BBQ grill cookbook. I purchased Heather the cookbook, "Cooking with Ketchup."  Heather laughed. Everyone laughed. She knew how to take a good ribbing. 

This past Fall, I went up to Maine for a vacation of hiking.  I came home with a moose sticker for my phone.  Heather loved it and told me she loved moose. She wanted me to get her that very same sticker on my next visit up to Maine. That Christmas, I came across a stuffed moose and picked it up for her. She loved it, smiled and we named it Mortimer. Then she looked at me squarely in the eyes and stated, "I still want the moose sticker." I have to admit I was a bit taken aback and put in my place. That was Heather, very determined in any aspect of her life. 

Lastly, while Heather was receiving daily treatment in the hospital, I decided that I would try and get her out a card every week if not every other week to let her know she was continuously in our thoughts. I looked up and down at the cards, not satisfied with what I saw. I then thought of Mocha, their chocolate lab. I thought Heather loves dogs! I will make a point to get her a dog card every time. So that was my plan and I stuck with it. Every card, a dog get well card. 

Well, little did I know that Heather really doesn't like dogs and although she loved her Mocha, she also kinda put up with Mocha from what Eric said. Unbeknownst to me, my never-ending dog cards became a running joke out at the hospital. The last card I sent her, of course had a dog. Knowing that it would get a rise, Eric showed her the card and said, "Hey, Marc sent ya another dog card!" She smirked at him. Hearing that made me chuckle.

The other night I had a quick dream of Heather. It was so odd as I've never dreamt of her before. She was driving and she turned a corner. She saw me, smiled and waived. I waved back to her. She looked beautiful, she looked as we all know and remember how Heather looks. That was it. Nothing more, nothing less. I awoke with a smile on my face. I took it as a good sign. I believe in those signs. I truly do. It was a sign to me that Heather, my good friend up in Heaven, is being taken care of and OK.

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Heather's favorite drink was a Blue Moon (beer) with plenty of orange slices. I should know. As one of the bartenders of the Lodge, I sliced all of them for her. LOL. But I was happy to do it. She had usually worked a very tough shift as server and I was happy to make her smile with her drinking partner/server in crime, Stephanie. 

So at some point in the future, please order a Blue Moon and get it with an orange as Heather did. Look up to the sky and toast Heather. Do it for her family. As I stated above, she was a wonderful wife, a devoted loyal mother lioness, and a beautiful friend. And oh yes, she was my "little" sister. 😍

"Jamie and I toasting Heather with our Blue Moons!"