Guy Barbour Heath, father, husband, uncle, grandfather, friend and all-around beloved character, went to his new home in heaven at age 93, on January 17th at Maine Medical Center in Portland after suffering complications from a bad fall. Fiercely independent to the very end, Guy was out clearing snow off his car when the fall occurred.

Guy’s three children, Larry Heath, Kathy DeCourcey and Marcia Smith, along with nieces Peggy Douglass, Lisa Heath and Deb Holden, and great-niece Tammy Sanborn, were grateful to be able to be at his side and say their goodbyes during Guy’s final days.

Guy was born in West Stewartstown, NH on June 8, 1930, to Arlene May Heath, nee Dwinell, and Claude Harrison Heath. (Guy’s middle name comes from Dr. Barbour, the physician who delivered him and his six siblings. Dr. Barbour lived across the street from the family and Guy’s father Claude often worked as the physician’s personal driver.)

In 1940, when Guy was only nine years old, his father passed away unexpectedly, leaving Arlene to fend for herself with seven children. Guy talked often of how much they all loved their mother, usually adding though, that they always did what their mother told them to do! Life was never easy, but they all tried to make the best of it, contributing in whatever way they could to help their mother make ends meet. Guy worked hard - as a bag boy and cashier at the A&P Grocery Store, cleaning the movie theater, setting up pins at the bowling alley – all to earn a little money to give to his mom. Fortunately for Guy, he received a scholarship to attend Plymouth State Teacher’s College in Plymouth, NH., graduating with a degree in Elementary Education.

It was while Guy was at Plymouth State that he met fellow elementary education student Dolores “Dollie” Hanson, his wife of 28 years and mother to his three children. Guy and Dollie were married in Plymouth in 1951 and shortly thereafter, Guy enlisted in the Navy to serve his country as his two brothers, Claude and Sherwood, had done as well. Guy and Dollie’s family grew to four with Larry born in 1952, and Kathy in 1955, and after serving in the Navy from 1951-1955, Guy returned to finish his degree at Plymouth in 1956. The family moved from New Boston, NH, to Peekskill, NY, where Guy was a school principle and where Marcia was born in 1959, then on to Laconia, NH, finally settling in Swanzey Center, NH in 1964. An excellent and well-respected teacher, Guy taught school in two area schools there, Munsonville and Winchester, until the mid-1970s when he left teaching to try his hand at Real Estate. Guy and Dollie divorced in 1979, and in the early 80s Guy moved to Burlington, VT to be near his daughters who both lived in the area. While living in Burlington, Guy worked as a security guard and maintenance foreman at a local woolen mill turned indoor arts and crafts mall, and later, held a similar job at The University of Southern Maine in Gorham until his retirement in 1996.

The final years of Guy’s life were spent with his longtime loving companion of 34 years, Mary Carmichael. Mary, who sadly passed away in 2022, was warm and caring and a joy to be around. She and Guy had thirty-four wonderful years together, living in Westbrook, ME spring and summer, and as snowbirds in their senior park in Dunedin, FL in fall and winter. They lived a rich, full life and enjoyed each other’s company immensely.

Guy was a quirky and fun grandpa, an amazing storyteller, a respected UFO investigator, an avid sports fan, an inspirational teacher, and a creative Dad who played Santa at Christmastime convincing his young children that, yes indeed, Santa had most assuredly been up on the roof and down the chimney to fill stockings and deliver presents. Guy loved every one of his nieces and nephews and their children too as if they were his own and was generous to a fault with family and friends, waving or nodding to every person he passed by while driving or walking. He loved music and dancing, and he and both Dollie and Mary cut quite a rug in their day. And yes, it’s true, Guy spread peanut butter on practically everything he ate!

Everyone walking this earth is special in some way to someone. Guy was special in that he had a lasting and loving impact on those he met along his way through life, right up to the very end. He will surely be missed by many.

Guy is survived by his two sisters Bertha Roberson and Claudette Wetherby, his three children Larry Heath, Kathy DeCourcey, and Marcia Smith, Kathy and Marcia’s spouses Tony DeCourcey and Kent Smith, Larry’s son Chris and his wife Bonnie, and their three children Guy, Legend, and Taela, and Marcia’s two children Melody and Annalyn. He is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews and will be lovingly remembered by many members of Mary’s family as well.

Kathy, Larry and Marcia would like to pass along a very heartfelt thank you to the staff at The Woods at Canco, in Portland, ME, where Guy lived these last couple of years, and also to the caring and compassionate staff at Maine Medical Center on the SCU-2 unit where he spent his final few days.

We also would like to express our gratitude for the hundreds of caring condolences we received from family and friends on Facebook, including the many thoughtful condolences we received from Guy and Mary’s friends and neighbors at Honeymoon Park in Dunedin, Florida, the home of their snowbird get-away for over 30 years.

A service is planned for June 8, 2024 – what would’ve been Guy’s 94th birthday. It will be held from 1pm to 4pm at the Bridgton Community Center at 15 Depot Street in Bridgton, Maine.

If you wish to honor Guy’s memory, please consider a donation to The Worker Bee Fund, a NH charity that helps disabled American Veterans by improving the homes they live in.

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