Heather L. Black Obituary (1991 - 2016)

WAYNE ~ Heather Black passed away at her home May 8, 2016 surrounded by her family, after a courageous battle with breast cancer at the young age of 25. Heather was born January 2, 1991 in Bangor, Maine to Gregory and Amy (Cushman) Black. She attended Wayne Elementary School, Maranacook Middle School, and graduated from Maranacook Community High School as a member of the class of 2009. She was a People to People Student Ambassador to Greece, Italy and France at the age of 13, an accomplished swimmer representing Maranacook H.S. and the Kennebec Valley YMCA swim teams, and was a member of the National Honor Society. Heather attended the University of Maine at Orono earning a B.S. in Child Development in Family Relations, a member of the class of 2013. She was fortunate to have great internships at Penquis Family Planning and Mabel Wadsworth Women’s Health clinic providing reproductive outreach education. Most recently she had attended Kaplan University taking classes towards a Master’s in Public Health. Throughout high school and college Heather worked for the Kennebec Valley YMCA, Old Town YMCA, Bangor YMCA, and YMCA Camp of Maine as a lifeguard, swim instructor and aqua jogging instructor. She modeled the core values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility. She most enjoyed teaching the Baby and Me classes. For the last three years Heather worked for Maine Family Planning as a Patient Care Specialist where she provided reproductive health education to clients seeking contraceptive services. She also provided administrative support and was an Insurance Enrollment Specialist. She travelled to a number of different offices around western, central and mid-coast Maine. She was blessed with wonderful co-workers. Heather liked to travel, visiting Hawaii to see her grandparents, Pennsylvania for family outings at camp, and visiting family in Sweden. Some of her best memories are of a family vacation to Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands. Her most recent trip was to Disney World where she embraced her inner child. She loved shopping, Disney movies, the Harry Potter books, and fixing up her house. Heather is survived by her parents, Gregory and Amy Black of Wayne; her sister Amanda Stewart and husband Matthew of Brunswick, Maine; maternal grandmother Anna Cushman of Kaloa, Hawaii; loving aunts, uncles and cousins who shared fun adventures at camp. She had a special bond with uncle Chris Cushman and his partner Leslie Burhoe and dear friends Tim and Donna Mills. She will be missed by her canine best friend Molly and constant kitty companions Lily and Leo. Heather was blessed to live in a wonderful community who positively contributed to her journey through life. She had many mentors beginning in Pooh Bear Nursery School, Sunday School, Youth Group, Ladd Recreation Center, learning how to swim and sail at the Androscoggin Yacht Club, and Girl Scouts. She had the most awesome teachers and support folks throughout school who contributed so much to her education. Not just in the classroom, but in the library, the halls, plays, and history helpers to name a few. We are extremely thankful and grateful for the outpouring of love and support from the entire Wayne community. Heather was a member of the Wayne Methodist Church. We thank everyone who reached out in so many ways to let her know she was loved and thought of every day. Visiting hours will take place at Roberts Funeral Home 62 Bowdoin Street, Winthrop, Maine Friday May 13th from 3pm to 5 pm and 6:30pm to 8:30pm. A celebration of Heather’s life will take place at the Wayne Community Church on Saturday, May 14, at 3:00p.m. with reception following at the Ladd Recreation Center, Gott Road, Wayne. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Heather’s name to: Wayne Community Church Scholarship Fund PO Box 300 Wayne, ME 04284 Cary Memorial Library Baby and Me 17 Old Winthrop Road Wayne, ME 04284 Condolences, memories and photos may be shared with the family on the obituary page of the website at www.khrfuneralhomes.com