Othell C. Heath

Othell Carrie Heath (Blue), of Lanham, Maryland, died peacefully on December 12, 2022 surrounded by her family. She was just a few weeks shy of her 98th birthday. She was born on January 19,1925 in Gastonia, NC to parents Arthur Peerless Blue and Mattie Sloan Lynn. Othell was predeceased by her younger siblings, Donald, Norma. Bobby, and Patricia. As the eldest sibling by several years, Othell's earliest responsibilities included helping raise her brothers and sisters as families struggled during the Great Depression.

When Othell was twelve, her family moved to Washington, DC, where she would ultimately meet her future husband. In January of 1941, shortly after her 16th birthday, Othell met Roland Lee Heath and they were married on June 28, 1941. After 72 years of marriage, Roland passed away in 2014. Their love story and keys to successful marriage was published on the front page of the Annapolis Capital-Gazette newspaper on their 70th wedding anniversary.

Othell was the loving and adoring mother to Donna Godfrey (predeceased), Gary Heath and Julie Heath, grandmother to Jeff, Brian, Rebecca, Mary Anne, Samuel, and great-grandmother to Makenzie, Brian, Jackson, Jonathan, Vivianne, and Weston. Her grandchildren were blessed with Othell's loving dedication to attending every school, church, and family event, the countless tea parties, sleep overs, and southem style home cooked meals.

Her love for cooking led her to a successful career in the Prince Georges County School system for 32 years, where she steadily worked her way up to be a manager of several school cafeterias. During her career, she received numerous awards and certificates of excellence. She also became very active in the Business and Professional Women's Foundation (BPW).

Othell always believed a successful life is not about acquiring great wealth or becoming famous. Othell defined success as having strong family bonds and religious faith, supporting a wonderful marriage for over 70 years, providing for loved ones and taking pride in your career.

The funeral will be held at 11am on December 28, 2022 at Emmanuel United Methodist Church, 11416 Cedar Lane, Beltsville, Maryland. All friends and family are welcomed to attend.