Sandra Faye Youngblood Heath, 85, of Mayfield, KY, was called home and ran into the arms of Jesus on Sunday, August 4th. Sandra was born in Mayfield, KY, on November 12, 1938, to J.T. (Jady) Youngblood and Zeffa Lee (Pritchard) Youngblood.

Sandra grew up in Mayfield and attended Symsonia High School. She was class valedictorian and a cheerleader for the Rough Riders while there, graduating in 1956. When just a freshman, she fell for the cute guard on the basketball team, Joe Leighton Heath. They began dating before she graduated and were married at First United Methodist Church in Mayfield on February 1, 1959. Joe was the love of her life. Together, they built a home next door to her parents and happily settled into married life.

She was always a whiz with numbers, working first for Friendly Finance in Mayfield. Whenever her first child (Nancy Jo) was born, San began her most important job, that of mother. Scott Douglas completed the family 6 years later.

Sandra was a wonderful wife, mama, and homemaker. She sewed practically every garment worn by Nancy until she was a teenager. She was an active member of the Homemaker's Club in Graves County. She gardened, canned, and kept the family in Kentucky wonder beans, corn, butterbeans, okra, tomatoes, and the like for decades.

At the age of 40, San returned to the workforce, working at various locations including the Graves County Extension office, Estate and Pension Services, Inc (where she gained the nickname "Sandy" that stuck for the rest of her life with those coworkers and friends), and finally with Campbell Tobacco Company – all located in her hometown of Mayfield.

She loved her God and was a faithful servant and member of Spence Chapel United Methodist Church for over sixty years. During that time, she served on committees, the administrative board, and was a member of the choir until she was called to be church pianist. She and Joe would often sing together, along with Kathleen Bradley and Harmon Ray Hopwood – Sundays at Spence were often filled with duet and quartet numbers.

She is survived by her daughter, Nancy Jo (Heath) Howell of Wichita Falls, TX, and her son, Scott Douglas Heath and wife Kristy (Thompson) of West Paducah, KY. She is also survived by her four extraordinary grandchildren – Madison Brooke Heath, Andrew Joseph Howell, Benjamin Wallace Howell, and Emily Katherine Heath.

She is also survived by her brothers Jim (Pam) Youngblood of Godfrey, IL and David Youngblood of Greenville, SC. She leaves a host of nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews, as well as beloved brother-in-law, Phil Bradley and sister-in-law, Kathleen Stegmann.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Joe L. Heath, her parents, her younger sister Jennifer Youngblood Bradley, and her son in law, Mark H. Howell.

After losing Joe in 2004, she kept the road hot between Mayfield KY and Wichita Falls, TX to make sure her Texas grandsons knew who their Mimi was. When her son-in-law unexpectedly died in 2011, she travelled there even more often to help Nancy with her grandboys. She attended every performance and activity the two granddaughters were involved in as well here locally. Sandra was always "young at heart," and loved her four grandchildren immensely. She was proud of their every accomplishment.

Sandra was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease 13 years ago and never once complained as her circumstances changed through the years. She always kept a positive outlook, even as she went from her beloved home in Mayfield to assisted living at Gaither Suites and finally to Providence Pointe Healthcare these past two plus years. Even as her health declined rapidly in these past months, she chose to look for the
good.

Visitation will be at Byrn Funeral Home chapel on Thursday, August 8 beginning at 9:00 am, followed by services at 11:00 am. Reverend Kathy Belcher will perform the service. Special piano music will be provided during her visitation by Grayson Pate.

Burial will follow at Briensburg Baptist Church cemetery in Briensburg, KY (Marshall County).

The family would like to thank the caregivers at Providence Point and Mercy Health Hospice for the continuous love and care given to Sandra, especially during these final few months.

In lieu of flowers, donations in her honor can be sent to michaeljfox.org to help fund Parkinson's research, or to Mercy Health – Hospice, Paducah, KY.

2 Corinthians 5:8 – "Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord." (NLT)