Heather Stacy-Howard Obituary

Heather Allison Stacy-Howard,52, passed away peacefully June 28th, 2025, surrounded by her wife, family and friends at Lakeland Regional Hospital. Heather was born April 11th, 1973, in Des Moines, Iowa. Heather bravely fought breast cancer twice and defeated it both times. When it returned a third time, she again fought a courageous battle; however, this time, she was not victorious. Heather grew up in Des Moines, Iowa and graduated from East High School in Des Moines in 1992. She worked as a Retail Opening Supervisor in Des Moines until she was promoted and relocated to Winter Haven, Florida. Heather married the love of her life, Kimberly Ann Howard, on September 10, 2011. Heather's passions were many and she had a unique zest for life. She loved spending time with her family and friends, camping, kayaking, traveling, gardening, spoiling her god children, fast cars and spending time at the beach. She had a blue Camaro she loved, she named it Sapphire, Heather drove as if she was a NASCAR driver. If you were a passenger you held on tight and if you were another car on the road, you got out of her way! She loved football and you could find her on game day's wearing her favorite jersey and cheering on her favorite team (best team ever, according to Heather), the New Orleans Saints. She was a huge NASCAR Fan, attending multiple races. The Bristol race in Tennessee was a yearly tradition which included a weekend of camping in lovely Tennessee spring weather come rain or shine. Heather also enjoyed Trivia Nights with friends, and she had an extensive knowledge of "useless information" that helped her team have many victories. The Iowa State Fair was another favorite destination. Heather loved traveling, her favorite city to visit was New Orleans. She proudly traveled to 49 states and multiple countries. She was always making plans for the next big trip; she had plans to visit Hawaii in September then she could say she has been to every state. Heather was an avid collector, everywhere she went she took home memorabilia, usually in the form of a T-shirt – from every trip so she could remember each adventure. She was also a self-proclaimed selfie queen documenting every outing with friends and family. We will always be grateful to her for these treasured photos. Heather was a strong advocate for cancer research and awareness; she raised funds as often as possible. She was the 5K Queen and took part in many walks. She was proud she was a two-time survivor; her beloved Sapphire was a gift to herself for winning her first cancer victory. She regularly reminded her loved ones to get their yearly mammograms. After her first cancer diagnosis, Heather lived the motto, "Tomorrow is not promised," and she packed as many adventures into her days as possible. She often pitched wild ideas to her friends and family – plans that sounded crazy at first but always turned into an unforgettable experience. Heather could make the most mundane activity fun and full of joy and laughter. She made new friends wherever she went. Heather had a life-long love for animals, especially dogs. As a youth, she showed dogs in 4-H and other competitions. She volunteered with the Adoptable "Greyt" hounds of Florida, served as a foster, and adopted several greyhounds over the years. Each of her dogs was deeply loved and treated like a true member of the family. Heather was preceded in death by her grandfather, Charles (Dick) Richard Stacy and her father Roger Wayne Stacy. Father-in-law George Thomas Howard; mother-in-law Marion Howard, step father-in-law Ralph Rock. Her fur babies Soprano and Tavi. Left to cherish Heather's memory and share numerous Heather stories is her wife of thirteen years, Kimberly Ann Howard. Her two fur-babies, Karli and Lily. Her best friends Molly Jo Moon, and Liam Sean Dowd (Lauren), as well as her god children, Logan Sean and Lillie Elaine Dowd. Mother-in-law Joanne Rock, 2 sisters- in-laws, Pamela Lynn Howard Petrucci (Vincent) and Tracy Marie Carr (Gary)brother-in-law David Allen (Victoria) Step-brother-in-law Brent Merwin (Marlo); 2 nephews, Trevor Thomas Petrucci (Liz) and Dylan Thomas Carr and 2 nieces, Breanna Lynn Petrucci and Kaitlyn Marie Carr. She is also survived by numerous friends and family across the country. Heather never met a stranger- her infectious smile and joy for life created friendships wherever she went. Heather received amazing treatment over the past 15 plus years at the Hollis Cancer Center in Lakeland, Fl. Special thanks to Dr. Haider, Doty, Lucy, Lori and all the amazing nurses and doctors who cared for her over the years. A Celebration of Life will be held September 13th in Winter Haven, FL. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her name to the Adoptable "Greyt" hounds of Florida https://agof.org/