Heather E. Bemis, 39
BENNINGTON, Vt. — Heather Elizabeth Bemis, 39, of Grant Street, formerly of Richmond, Mass., died Monday. Feb. 5, 2007, at home of cancer.
Born in Adams, Mass., on Dec. 20, 1967, daughter of Nancy Billings Yawn of North Bennington, Vt., she was adopted soon after birth by Betsy Aikin Bemis of Richmond and the late Kenneth P. Bemis. She attended elementary school in Richmond and was a 1985 graduate of Taconic High School in Pittsfield, Mass.
Following high school, Ms. Bemis moved to San Jose, Calif., where she was employed as a nanny for seven years. After returning to the Berkshires in 1992, she became a certified nurses aide and was employed by Springside of Pittsfield and at nursing homes in the Bennington area.
During her illness, she participated in fundraising campaigns for cancer research and treatment and organized a "Mother's Day Tea" in 2005 at the Cancer Center at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. She enjoyed crafts.
Besides her mother and her birth mother and her husband, Charles Yawn, she leaves a son, Taylor M. Koste of Bennington; a brother, Timothy P. Bemis and his wife, Catherine I. Bemis, of Centerville, Ohio; a sister, Laurie C. Albert of Pittsfield; her aunt, Eunice L. Bemis of Bangor, Maine; and many cousins, nieces and nephews.
FUNERAL NOTICE — A memorial service for Ms. Bemis will be conducted Monday at 1 p.m. at Trinity Church in Lenox, Mass., by the Rev. Stephen P. Booth, rector. Burial will follow in Mountain View Cemetery, Lenox.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, in care of ROCHE FUNERAL HOME, 120 Main St., Lenox, MA 01240.