Glenna Heinz

Our mom, grandma, and Gigi, Glenna Ruth Lewis Heinz, passed away peacefully on March 17, 2023 at her home in Louisville, KY. She was 91 years old and had been suffering from lung cancer, which caused a swift deterioration in her health. Her family and loved ones were by her side during her final moments. Glenna was born on December 2, 1931, in London, KY, to Myrtle Sharp and Chester Lewis. During her senior year at Shawnee High School, she fell deeply in love with her “forever boyfriend,” Robert Louis “Bobby” Heinz, and they married in secret. Despite having several scholarships to attend college, Glenna chose to prioritize building a life full of love, family, and adventure. She worked for the Corp of Engineers and the United States Postal Service, and even in her later years, she could recall almost every zip code in the Louisville metro area based on the street or neighborhood. She was also a passionate genealogist who had spent decades researching our family lineage. Recently, she was inducted into the Daughters of the American Revolution, of which she was very proud. Glenna was a descendant of William and Polly Creech, who had donated the land for Pine Mountain Settlement School in Harlan County, Kentucky. Her love for those hills and that land ran deep and likely inspired her research into our family lines. William Creech was an illiterate man who staunchly supported education for all his children, and Glenna, likewise, was very proud of her children, all of whom have graduated college. A self-described tomboy, Glenna joyfully threw her whole self into all sorts of things that could have scared her, was a hard worker and a forever learner – except learning how to cook. Glenna was more comfortable in jeans, didn’t bother learning how to coif her hair like her peers, had excellent taste in furniture and jewelry, and gathered beautiful rocks and seashells from all over the United States. Glenna and Bobby lived near the University of Louisville as a young married couple, where they welcomed their oldest children, Eric, Deb, and Gary. They subsequently moved to Pleasure Ridge Park, where they added the last three, Rebecca, Ruth, and George. At 39 years old, with three kids out of the house, Glenna moved into her dream home on Trevillian Way in the Highlands across from the Lakeside Swim Club, of which they were members for many years. Here, Glenna and Bobby sunk deep roots in the neighborhood and made lifelong friends, including Martha Puckett and Donna Guy, who were close friends for over 50 years. She was an avid reader and storyteller, but her greatest passion was her love for nature. When they were first dating as young teenagers, Bobby and Glenna had a clandestine rendezvous during a Heinz family trip to Yellowstone to pick Bobby up from NROTC camp. From then, Yellowstone, as well as numerous other national parks and regional state parks, became beloved places they would visit throughout their long marriage. As retirees, they left their home in Louisville and bought a camper to travel the country, work-camped at beautiful natural sites, and made new friends along the way. Glenna worked for a couple of seasons at Canyon Campground in Yellowstone National Park before becoming postmaster at Old Faithful. Glenna and Bobby loved their travel adventures but eventually returned to Kentucky, where Glenna felt the most at home, and moved into Masonic Homes in 2004. Glenna was preceded in death by the love of her life Bobby Heinz, her daughter, Debbie Archer, granddaughter Isabella Glenna Heinz and her dog, Maggie. Those losses broke her heart so deeply, and she often spoke of all of them. Glenna was generous with her love and presence towards anyone who came into her life's orbit. Her magnetic personality was full of joy, openness, and a lack of judgment, making it natural for her to treat everyone with kindness from the first moment. She loved hearing people's stories and was renowned for finding a connection with strangers. This was her way of drawing people in and making them feel loved. Glenna and Bobby often said their sad childhoods inspired them to create a happy home together. She married Bobby at sixteen, started a large family immediately, and gathered people around her, loving them unconditionally and generously. We should all be blessed to transform our pain into something extraordinary. For Glenna, "she touched so many people" is not an obligatory cliche but rather a hard truth. As she faced her illness, Glenna remained content with her full and joyful life. Even in her final weeks, she continued to appreciate the world around her and happily welcomed visitors to her bedside. When she struggled to find the right words, she would simply observe, "Isn't this wonderful?" Glenna's life was a testament to the power of love, kindness, and positivity, and her memory will live on in the hearts of all those who knew her. Glenna is survived by son Eric (Martha) Heinz, Gary (Shelley) Heinz, Rebecca (Bill) Ankney, Ruth (Terry) Heinz, and George Heinz, as well as her beloved grandchildren Matthew Archer, Rob (Audrey) Archer, Dan Pat Archer, Caitlin (Hilary) Heinz, Alice (Chase) Blair, Brooke (Alex) Kleumper and Oly Heinz. Glenna has eight great-grandchildren, Avery, Taylor, Malique, Quinn, Patience, Doc, August, and Robin. The family wishes to thank the staff and residents of Masonic Home, of which she was a resident for over 20 years. A celebration of life will be held at the lower level of The Olmstead at 3701 Frankfort Ave, Louisville, KY 40207, on Wednesday, March 22nd, 2023 from 2-5 pm. In lieu of flowers, Glenna would appreciate donations to Pine Mountain Settlement School at www.pinemountainsettlementschool.com.

Glenna Heinz

December 2, 1931 - March 17, 2023