Heather Ann Pinto

Heather Ann Pinto of Plymouth, Michigan passed away on July 30, 2020 after a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer. As was her wish, she took on her new role as an angel when she passed away in her home of 53 years with her husband and family members by her side.

Heather was born in Detroit, Michigan on November 23, 1943 to Karl and Mary Monica Duke. She moved with her family to Grosse Pointe and, as a child, earned excellent, on-the-job training as a mother by helping Mary Monica raise her four brothers and sisters. Helping out alongside her mom, Heather learned to become a patient nurturer and an amazing cook. She would need both traits later in life when she started her own family (especially the patience part).

As a self-acclaimed “straight B student,” Heather attended Grosse Pointe High School where she often bemoaned her Chemistry classes. Not to be deterred by her lack of scientific prowess, she enrolled in the University of Detroit and graduated as a dental hygienist in 1963. While attending a dental conference in Chicago, she met Dr. Joseph Pinto. That first meeting was inauspicious as Heather thought Joe was a bit “in love with himself.” Through a miracle and some perseverance on his part, she fell in love with Joseph and they were married on December 30, 1966 so Joe could claim an extra dependent tax exemption for that year. In what has become an incredible love story, Joe and Heather stayed deeply in love for 53 years of marriage and beyond.

Heather gave birth to three boys in the span of approximately 35 months and somehow raised these boys without a severe mental breakdown. Quickly discovering that her job was to minimize the number of holes in her walls and broken doors, she was a success as the house is still standing despite many attempts by her boys to murder each other. Using her saint-like skills that will make her a success in heaven, she kept the peace and helped nurture her children and raised a wonderful family.

Heather had many hobbies that turned into unbelievable life skills. She was an amazing cook. She used all that she learned from her mom and combined that with the Italian recipes she learned from Joe’s mom into a style all her own. She claimed that she was “Italian by osmosis,” and her ability to create magic in a pot on the stove or a pan in the oven will be missed. An excellent gardener, she grew everything from beautiful roses to her own tomatoes and basil. Her garden still bears fruit today, producing some massively large cucumbers and zucchini that continue to be enjoyed by her family. Accomplished with a needle, she was handy at both the sewing machine and needlepoint and created many pieces for her sons, their wives, and her grandchildren. Finally, she was excellent at scouring antique fairs for her treasured silver spoons. She collected silver spoons that were engraved with both a name and a year and she would often think about a story behind the person behind the spoon. In a way, she used those stories to make a connection and a friendship with people she had never met.

Heather was a friend to many. Whether it was the dental school friends, the Plymouth group, the CC Mom’s gang, the Our Lady of Good Counsel parishioners, the Florida friends or many of the other people that remained dear to her, she always had a warm smile and a caring voice for those she loved. She was sweet and kind and always looking to help any and all that were friendly with her.

Heather is survived by the love of her life, Joseph, her son Mark and his wife Jennifer, her son Perry and his wife Jennifer and her son Jeffrey (who has not yet married a Jennifer). She adored her five grandchildren more than life itself and she will miss Allison, Joey, Ethan, Eva and Peter. Heather will dearly miss her family, brothers Gregory and Dwight and sisters Shannon and Suzanne.

While many of you have reached out to the family regarding visitation and services, due to concerns around COVID-19, it was the wish of Heather and her family not to have any in-person gatherings to keep everyone safe. Her funeral and her celebration of life will be a small family gathering and will take place on August 14, 2020 at 11 AM. Thankfully, the service can be watched live online through the Schrader-Howell Funeral Home website at www.Schrader-Howell.com. Please follow the links to Heather’s obituary page on the Schrader website and then login to the service at 11 AM. A recording of the service will be available on the website for viewing at any time after that.

At the family’s request, please do not send flowers but if you would like to honor Heather and her memory please consider a donation to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (“PAN CAN”) at the www.pancan.org . Follow the website to “donate now” and make sure to donate in memory of Heather Pinto.

Finally, since we cannot all be together, please visit Heather’s CaringBridge site. The family has taken some time to post some of Heather’s favorite recipes and you can reminisce about Heather as you make and then eat one of her famous creations with your family. Please visit her page at https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/heatherpinto.

Thank you for all the kind words of love and support for Heather, Joseph and the entire Pinto Family.