Christopher J. Heath

Christopher J. Heath, 51, of Geneseo, went to be with Jesus on January 1, 2017, after a brief illness in Peoria’s St. Francis Hospital, with his parents and beloved brother by his side.  A funeral service celebrating his life will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 7th, at Grace United Methodist Church in Geneseo.  Rev. Melva England will officiate.  Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. on Friday, at Vandemore Funeral Homes & Crematory, Geneseo.   Cremation Rites will be accorded after the services and a private inurnment will be at a later date.  Memorials may be made to the Chris Heath Memorial Fund, which has been set up at Central Bank, Geneseo.

Chris Heath was born on June 5, 1965 in Sioux City, Iowa with big brown eyes and heart of gold.  Chris spent his childhood on the outskirts of Geneseo before moving as an adult into the literal and figurative heart of Geneseo where he proudly lived for the rest of his days. 

Chris lived an extraordinary life filled with jobs at local businesses, volunteering at the Geneseo food pantry, frequenting almost each and every business in his favorite town.  He attended the Evangelical Free Church in Geneseo.  He was a proud 1984 graduate of JD Darnall High School and by many accounts the most beloved member of his graduating class.  He remained a huge fan of all Geneseo sports for each season of each year of his life.  He was a lover of sports, from local to professional, in a way that is unmatched and he had a gift for the details of the game, an interest in the personalities and statistics of the game and was a go to source of sports related information for all that knew him.   We like to envision him currently swapping stories with all of the sports legends that have gone before him.

Chris was most proud of his relationships.  He will leave behind his treasured parents, Judy Heath of Geneseo, John Heath of Bettendorf, his brother Mike Heath of Davenport and his sister Deb Christian, her husband Tim and their three kids - his beloved nephew, Nick and nieces, Natalie and Erin, who live in Redmond, Washington. 

His loss will be exponentially felt far beyond his family, into the Geneseo community and friends across the country.  Chris had an extraordinary gift of loving well and therefore he was extraordinarily loved well in return.  

Share a message of sympathy with Chris’ family by clicking on the Guest Book / Condolence tab to the left.

 Service Information