Obituary: Heath

Danny A. Heath, 70, of Chenoa, passed away at 8:11 pm on Monday, May 12, 2025, at OSF St. Joseph Medical Center in Bloomington, IL. 

Visitation will be held from 4:00 – 7:00 pm on Monday, May 19th, 2025, at Duffy-Pils Memorial Home, Chenoa.

Funeral service will begin at 10:00 am on Tuesday, May 20th, at Duffy-Pils Memorial Home, Chenoa, with Pastor Deb Honegger officiating. Burial will follow in Chenoa Township Cemetery. 

Memorial donations can be made in Danny’s name to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the Chenoa Food Pantry.

Danny was born on January 18th, 1955, the son of Wayward and Rietta (Goodwin) Heath in Paris, IL. He married Mary Jo Grider on June 19th, 2010 in Pontiac, IL. She survives in Chenoa. 

Danny is survived by his wife and children: Jeff (Joe Waldmann) Heath, Bloomington; Kylie (Adam Banister) Heath, Clinton; and Janet (Ryan) Murphy, Mackinaw. He is survived by his bonus children: Dr. Nathan (Nikki) Grau, Cynthia Grimm, Angela (Jason) Green, and Rebecca (Charles) Thurston. He is survived by 15 grandchildren and 2 more on the way. Danny is also survived by his brother David (Shellie) Heath, sisters-in-law Jonetta Johnson and Linda Schlicher, and several nieces and nephews. 

He is preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Freddie Johnson and Donald Heath.

Danny was educated in the Chenoa School System and later worked and retired as welder for the American Building Company. He lived as a grateful liver transplant recipient for almost ten years. Danny liked taking his 1968 Stepside Chevy truck to car shows and watching old westerns on TV. He enjoyed dirt track racing at the Fairbury American Legion Speedway, both as a racecar driver and later as a fan. He loved driving his grandkids around town on the golf cart and attending their sporting events in Illinois, South Dakota, and Arizona.

He will be greatly missed by all who loved him.