Heather Jean (Stewart) Kindness

Heather Jean Kindness, 77, of Natick, passed away on April 2, 2024, at her home in the loving company of family and friends.

Born in Holyoke, MA on July 20, 1946, she was the daughter of the late Allan W. & Jean R. (Rudolph) Stewart and sister of Allan Jr. and Iain. She grew up in the Fairview neighborhood of Chicopee, Massachusetts and was a member of the first graduating class of Chicopee Comprehensive High School in 1964.

Heather set her sights on her future career during high school when she was invited to observe a physical therapist at work and was inspired by their caring approach to providing healing and rehabilitation for injured patients. After earning her Bachelor of Science from Boston-Bouvé College at Northeastern University, Heather began her career working at at Leonard Morse Hospital (later MetroWest Medical Center), where she loved getting to know and assist new patients alongside her compassionate and skilled co-workers with whom she remained close friends long after her retirement.

Heather’s greatest joys in life were gardening, swimming, riding her bike, and bringing joy and comfort to others. She especially loved the time she spent caring for and teaching the children of her church’s congregation. She achieved her dream of visiting the home of her ancestors in Scotland with her dear friend Nan, and shared fond memories with her daughter of their trips to the Olympic Peninsula, California Redwoods, and Bryce and Zion Canyons. Her most cherished childhood memories were of summers at the beach in Rhode Island and on Cape Cod with her parents, brothers, cousins, aunts, and uncles. As an adult she shared her love of the ocean with her daughter Alana, teaching her to swim from her first year of life and returning to Cape Code every summer well into her 70’s, where neither rough water or cold would keep her from diving in and swimming laps along the coast.

A memorial service will be held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 150 Brown St., Weston on Tuesday, April 30, at 3:00pm. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. Interment will be held on a future date at The Village Cemetery in South Hadley, MA.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations in Heather’s memory to Embrace A Family of Natick: embraceafamily.org or Good Shepherd Community Care: gscommunitycare.org, whose dedicated volunteers and staff provided compassionate support, care, and comfort to Heather and her family.

For online guestbook please visit: everettfuneral.com

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