John Heath, Sr. Obituary (2017) - Beaufort, South Carolina

John Lewis Heath, Sr. was born July 16, 1936, in Snow Hill, NC, the son of Roy Andrew Heath and Gertrude Worthington Heath. He earned a bachelors degree from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill before entering the Navy, where he served as the Navigator and Flight Control Officer on the USS Fremont. After leaving the Navy, Heath worked as the General Advertising Manager of The News and Observer newspaper in Raleigh, NC, before becoming the Publisher of The Hilton Head Island Packet in 1973 and The Beaufort Gazette in 1975. He oversaw The Packet's transition from a once-a-week publication to a seven-day publication as its President, and converted The Gazette from a five-day afternoon newspaper to a seven-day morning edition, winning numerous state-wide awards for both publications. Heath served as President of the SC Press Association and SC Press Foundation, and was a long-time member of both boards. He also served as President and Campaign Chairman of the Beaufort County United Way, and as a founding director of the Beaufort Memorial Hospital Foundation and the Northern Beaufort County Education Foundation. He was a member of the Board of Directors of both the Beaufort and Hilton Head Island Chambers of Commerce, as well as the Lowcountry Council of Boy Scouts. He was also a 28-year Rotarian and Paul Harris Fellow. He is survived by his wife, Johnnie Seymour Heath of Beaufort, and son, John Lewis Heath, Jr. of Tampa, Florida. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Ann Megan Heath. Visitation will be held at Anderson Funeral Home in Beaufort on Monday, November 13, from 6 to 7 pm. In lieu of flowers, please contribute to the Beaufort County United Way or Beaufort Memorial Hospital.