Leona Sandy Heth, age 83, of Dubuque, passed away on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at her home.  To celebrate Sandy’s life, family and friends may visit from 1:00 p.m. until 3:45 p.m., on Monday, July 20, 2026, at Behr Funeral Home, 1491 Main Street.  Funeral services will be held immediately following visitation at 4:00 p.m., at the funeral home.  Burial will be in Mt. Calvary Cemetery at a later date.

Sandy was born on September 23, 1942, in Dubuque, the daughter of Merle and Lenora (Gruber) Davis.

Sandy graduated from Wahlert High School, Class of 1961, and from the University of Iowa in the spring of 1966.  On June 18, 1966, she married Jerald Heth and followed him to Oklahoma while he was in the Army.  While living there she taught in a Native American school and learned to ride horses.  Sandy reveled in the arts, especially music.  She sang at weddings and with choral groups in Dubuque, Iowa City and Norman, Oklahoma.  She attended the Opera as often as she could in Dallas, Minneapolis and Chicago.  She was thrilled when she met cellist Stejpan Hauser after his performance in Detroit.  While living in Iowa City, Sandy also participated in several community theater productions.

Sandy loved tending to her flower gardens and raising herbs.  She enjoyed traveling throughout the Driftless Area in Wisconsin and was always on the lookout for new decorative items.  Sandy enjoyed shopping for paintings and metallic ornaments to adorn her walls and flower gardens.  She was also an avid reader, reading literary classics, historical biographies and mystery novels.

Sandy also loved her animals.  She leaves behind 2 dogs and a cat, whom she plucked off a highway at a few weeks old and provided a wonderful life.

Most of all, Sandy loved her family.  She always encouraged her children to try new activities and open their minds to a broader landscape through camping trips, museum visits and classroom projects.  She delighted in spending time with her family and friends, and chatting on the phone catching up on what was going on in everyone’s life.  She was thoughtful, empathetic, witty and a delight to those around her.  She lived her life to the fullest and made the world a better place.  Sandy had a resilient spirit, and bravely battled several health issues throughout the years.

Sandy was a wonderful woman who was greatly loved by her family.  She will be missed by all whose lives she touched.

Those left to cherish Sandy’s memory include

her loving husband of 60 years,
Jerald “Jerry” Heth, Dubuque, IA;

2 children,
Jason (Elizabeth) Heth, Ann Arbor, MI
and Sandra Heth of Dubuque, IA;

3 grandchildren,
Grace, Kellen and Yasi.

Sandy was preceded in death by her parents.

Cards and memorials in Sandy’s memory may be mailed to Behr Funeral Home, 1491 Main Street, Dubuque, Iowa 52001, Attn. Sandy Heth Family.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.behrfuneralhome.com