Jaem Charles Heath
On Sunday, May 23, 2021, Jaem Charles Heath died at home after a long illness in Berlin, Germany, where he had lived for the last 10 years.
Jaem was born Oct. 2, 1956, in Butler, to Charles “Thunder” Heath and Pauline “Polly” May (Crouch) Heath.
He grew up in Butler, spending glorious summers in East Brady on the Allegheny River with his close friends and family. Summers and holidays were filled with spirited laughter, songs and evenings around the campfire at the river, where he loved swimming, diving and waterskiing.
He studied biochemistry at the University of Miami in Florida, but his incredible range of interests and passions took him on a journey around the world. Over the course of his life, he lived and worked in Miami, Chicago, Ann Arbor and San Francisco, and overseas in Wales, France, Italy, Spain, New Zealand, Argentina and Ecuador before finally settling in Berlin. In Berlin, he found refuge in a bungalow on a lake outside the city, where he aspired to recreate his summers on the river as a young man.
Jaem's passion for life, along with his belief that everyone should have the opportunity to live it to the fullest, inspired him to work for a number of social and political causes, including fighting the AIDS epidemic, working to stop the spread of nuclear weapons and supporting progressive movements in El Salvador and Nicaragua. His love of multicultural environments and world languages eventually led him to become a teacher-trainer for those who teach English as a second language.
Jaem always found joy in diversity, and relished making friends from many different cultures, embracing the unfamiliar and delighting in what he referred to as “life's rich pageant.” He inspired students on four continents with his formidable intelligence, unflagging sense of humor, ability to see the best in any situation and never-ending generosity.
Above all, Jaem loved to entertain people — as you read this, you may recall a story he told that bordered on the fantastic, made you laugh in disbelief or perhaps even made you think, “Is that actually possible?”
World traveler, adventurer, drinker of wine, singer of old ballads and contemporary tunes, lover of obscure music, eater of exotic organ meats, spinner of tales and wearer of the brightest colors he could find, Jaem lit up any room he was in with his unforgettable and charismatic presence. He loved deeply and was loved deeply in return.
Jaem is survived by his partner, relatives and friends all over the world. We miss him so much. He will always be with us.
