Heather Rose Dudley was born on July 23, 1980, and from that moment we all knew we had a headstrong yet compassionate person in our presence. Heather was not one who lived a life of materialism and even though she had few possessions, her heart always had room for anyone that was close to her, and especially those of the furry, four-legged kind. Her dog Buddy was always by her side, and shared that love with her Partner, Tim.


Although Heather was thrown many extraordinarily tough challenges in her life, she still had a playful sense of humor, and her smile could light up a room; as Tim put it so eloquently, "Her smile would shine like diamonds, and boy, could she cook up a wickedly delectable meal." It brought her joy to feed those around her, and we will never forget the smell of the chili wafting through the house, or the perfectly crisp homemade potato chips!

Her talents went beyond cooking, and in the past few years she discovered she had a real knack for landscaping and refurbishing her one prized possession, her 1989 Camaro. Whether it was digging in the dirt or gleefully driving her "baby," she would often send photos of her finished products, as they were her pride and joy.

We will not forget how hard she fought her last challenge, and how she has left us memories of laughter, feistiness, stubborn determination, and her heart of gold. We promise to take care of Buddi, keep your car washed, waxed, and in prime driving condition, and carry on your legacy of kindness to animals.

Heather leaves behind her family of 40 years. She inherited her creativity from her mother, Schrie Scanlon (Johnnie Jones), her playful nature from her father Steven Dudley (Barb Lemmen), her siblings, April Sluiter (Tomas) and Ross Dudley, her maternal grandparents, and many aunts, uncles and cousins. In lieu of flowers, feel free to make donations to the non-profit no kill animal shelter Michele's Rescue, or the Women's Resource Center.