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Kelvin Douglas Heath

16 Mar 1954 – 6 Jan 2010

Birth16 Mar 1954
Death6 Jan 2010
CemeteryOakwood Cemetery
Rochester , Olmsted County , Minnesota , USA
Added byDaveVangsness on 06 Jan 2010
FaGhttps://www.findagrave.com/memorial/46396953

Bio

Kelvin Douglas Heath passed away Wednesday, January 6, 2010 at Maple Manor Nursing Home in Rochester, MN. Kelvin was born March 16, 1954 in Lubbock, Texas, to Hunter and Velma (Brandon) Heath. He moved to Rochester, MN in 1990 and attended Rochester Community College earning a degree in nursing. Kelvin married Margaret (Maggie) Zemler in 1993. Their lives were blessed by their son Ryan. Kelvin worked at a foundry in Lubbock for a number of years, making bronze castings. He later was employed in a photo shop in Plainview, Texas. Kelvin also worked in the photo department at Rainbow Foods and at Ritz Camera in Rochester. In 1995, Kelvin started his nursing career working in Ortho at Rochester Methodist Hospital. From there, he transferred to the Thoracic/Vascular Surgical Intensive Care Unit at St. Marys Hospital and worked there until he became disabled in 2005. He had a successful pancreas transplant in 2002 for treatment of juvenile diabetes and was the first pancreas transplant patient to be approved to take flying lessons. Unfortunately, Kelvin became legally blind in 2005 and was not able to fulfill his lifelong dream of obtaining his pilot's license. Building and flying model airplanes was a great joy for Kelvin from a very young age, one he shared with his son, Ryan, and numerous friends throughout the country. Ryan and he became members of the Piston Poppers Club in the Twin Cities and the RC Club in Marion. They spent many hours flying their airplanes and enjoying their friends. Kelvin also had a passion for photography, reading, computers, and listening to Minnesota Public Radio. Survivors include his wife, Maggie; his son, Ryan, a sophmore at Century High School; brother, Hunter (Glenna) Heath III, M.D. of Indianapolis, Indiana; sister, Marianne (Gene) Seitz of Lubbock, Texas; nephews, Ethan Heath of Hong Kong, China and David Seitz of Lubbock, Texas; uncle and aunt, Leroy and Dorothy Brandon of Quanah, Texas; special sister-in-law, Sr. Rosemary Zemler of Stewartville, MN; and numerous brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law. He was preceded in death by his parents, aunts, and uncles. A Funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 9, 2010 at Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Homes' Chapel with Father Jim Kunz officiating. Visitation will be from 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. on Friday, January 8 at Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Homes and one hour prior to the service on Saturday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Oakwood Cemetery, Rochester, MN. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Kelvin's memory are suggested to the family.

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