James Larry Heath

Video Memorial TributeAfter losing a long battle with Alzheimer's disease, James Larry Heath, age 68, died, Monday afternoon, 1/20/14, in the Tunica Nursing Home, Tunica, MS. A memorial service will be 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, 1/25/14, in Wells Funeral Home Chapel, Batesville, MS. Larry’s daughters will receive friends and extended family from 9:00 a.m. until service time at Wells Funeral Home. Larry was born in Baltimore, Maryland on June 13, 1945. He spent his early childhood in Louisiana and then moved on to Virginia, for his entire schooling. Larry had a lengthy history of work experience over his adult life. He was employed at Poloron in Batesville as a young adult, and worked with construction crews across the United States in his 20’s. In 1963, Mr. Heath went to work with a house moving company and was severely injured on the job. After much time spent recovering, nearly three years later, a construction company hired him as an Engineer’s apprentice, and because of his love for mathematics, he caught on quickly and moved on to work as an assistant crew chief for a pipeline company in Louisiana. A short time later, Larry became the Crew Chief and worked with the pipeline company. But after years of intense, on the job labor, the injury he suffered earlier in life, forced him to take a medical retirement. After time passed, in 1983, he opened up an antique shop in Hickory, NC where he collected and sold antiques. Larry would then learn to create original bird houses in his spare time. Because of his creativity, he and some friends realized he had a knack for sculpting. Mr. Heath could bend sheet metal and barn tin into awesome works of art with just his bare hands and airplane snips. Thus, the Folk Art world began to notice Larry and his talent. For most of the 1990’s Larry built, sculpted, and painted art. Today, pieces of Larry’s art are on permanent display at The Hickory Museum of Art, in Hickory, North Carolina. Besides his art, Larry left behind 4 beautiful daughters, who have learned much about life because of their Dad. Susan Heath Wright (Kenny) of Brandon, MS, Sherry Heath Austin (Allen) of Batesville, MS, Rhonda Heath Mastin (David) of Holly Springs, MS & Renee Heath Rhoades (Larry) of Howard City, MI; 7 grandchildren, Austin Wright, Bethany Elmore, Ashley Rhoades, Ryan Rhoades, Emma Grace Brooks, Noah Brooks and Samuel Brooks. The Heath girls ask anyone who feels led to send memorial donations, please forward those to the Hickory Museum of Art, P.O. Box 2572, Hickory, NC 28603.