Walter Ivan Heath, 79, of Pen Argyl, passed peacefully in his home on Thursday, August 22, 2024. Greeted by a curiously configured chorus of birds serenading him outside his window, he was freed from his earthly cage in the company of his wife Bahereh, his daughter Sienna Mae, and nurse aid, as he flew from this material realm to the Abhá Kingdom of Heaven. He was the beloved husband of Bahereh Khodadoost-Heath with whom he shared 39 years of marriage and wrote for her at its start that "all of my life I have searched for these two eyes; only when I quit looking did I begin to see" (Dec. 5, 1984). Born in Tulsa, OK, he was a son of pilots, the late Winifred R. and Lucy Eleanor (Bishop) Heath. As a boy, Walter soared like a bird in airplanes with his father. Captivated by the sky, he also took a keen and lifelong interest in UFOs. He served in the U.S. Air Force, later graduated from the University of Tulsa with a Bachelor's degree, and continued to Pittsburg State University in Kansas where he earned an MS degree. Breathing life into his microcosm of our world, Walter worked in various hospitals as a respiratory therapist. Next, he came into a career as an artist and educator before retiring. A pure soul, Walter set his sights on God by becoming a maker of clay art including Japanese-style teapots, tea bowls adorned with the texture of Indian corn, and Hadgini drums for Paul Simon's percussionist. All the while, he was deeply valued by his students, one of whom called him "dad." His education career ranged from developing an art program for children with autism at the Colonial I.U. 20 to inspiring college students in ceramics classes. Being of the Baha'i Faith, Walter believed in "death as a messenger of joy," and fittingly, in his last months, imagined a mystical place where everyone and everything was good.

Survivors: In addition to his wife, Bahereh, he is survived by his daughters, Heather M. Heath-Horne and her husband, Brian of Middletown, DE; Sienna Mae Heath of Bethlehem, PA, brother, Raymond Heath of Albuquerque, NM, and grandchild, Corey Horne. He was also preceded in death by a brother, Roger Lee Heath.

Services: Relatives and friends are invited to his graveside service, recitation and singing of Baha'i prayers on Saturday, August 24, 2024 at 11:00 AM in Fairview Cemetery, Bethlehem. Arrangements are entrusted to JAMES FUNERAL HOME, Bethlehem.

"O SON OF SPIRIT! Burst thy cage asunder, and even as the phoenix of love soar into the firmament of holiness. Renounce thyself and, filled with the spirit of mercy, abide in the realm of celestial sanctity." - Hidden Words by Bahá'u'lláh, #38