Barbara Ann Heiner, 82, of Lillian, died Wednesday, May 11, 2011.
She was born June 6, 1928 in Chicago to Leon and Annie Persons.
She graduated from high school in Meriden, Conn., in 1947 and entered nursing training at the Hospital of St. Raphael in New Haven, Conn.
She married Bartholomew O’Leary in February of 1949 and completed her nursing training as an R.N. in June of that year.
Unfortunately, her husband died in October of 1960. In December of 1961, she re-married to Edward Heiner. They lived together in several locations in Vermont, Connecticut and New Hampshire before finally retiring to Lillian in 1981.
She was a surgical nurse until 1963 when she devoted her time to taking care of her family. In her younger days she enjoyed roller skating, square dancing, and gardening. Throughout her life she always enjoyed music and reading.
She was an animal lover and she was particularly fond of cats. She adopted several of them over the years once her children had grown and left to start their own lives.
In addition to her first husband and her parents, she was preceded in death by daughter. Shelia Prohaski of Lillian in 2008; and her older brother, William Persons of Bristol, Conn.
Survivors include her husband, Edward Heiner; three children, Patricia Shaskin of East Hartford, Conn., Edward Heiner Jr. of Nashua, N.H., and Thomas Heiner of Rowlett, Texas; five grandchildren, one great-grandchild, and her three cats.
A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, May 23 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Lillian.
The family requests memorial donations be made to Kitty Angels Inc., P.O. Box 638 Tyngsboro, MA 01879.
