Renee Winters Heilesen Obituary (1940

Renee Winters Heilesen passed away peacefully with loved ones by her side on August 30, 2018, in Provo, Utah. She was our best friend and guardian angel in this life. Her unconditional love and faith will always be a source of strength and a blessing to all who knew her. Born February 9, 1940, in St. Anthony, Idaho, Renee was the first child of Woodrow and Lydia Heinze Winters. The family moved to Burley, Idaho, and then on to Springville, Utah, where Renee became the doting older sister to 3 brothers. She was 11 years old when the first of her brothers was born, and she became a “second adoring mother” to them as they grew up. Renee graduated from Springville High School, where she served as a student body officer. Her senior yearbook noted that she was “proficient at shorthand and type…well-liked and pretty.” She went on to graduate from LDS Business College. Her sharp intellect and good looks caught the eye and interest of BYU’s student body president, Henry Heilesen. Renee and Henry were married on June 29, 1962 in the Salt Lake Temple. One year after marrying, Renee and Henry moved to the eastern U.S., where they lived for 32 years and raised their family. They began with graduate school in Boston, MA, followed by several years in Dayton and Cincinnati, OH, where their first 4 children were born. They then moved to the NYC metro area (Weston and New Canaan, CT), where their 5th child was born. When their youngest child left the nest in 1995, Renee and Henry returned to Provo to be closer to extended family and cheer on their beloved BYU Cougars. Renee had many interests. She enjoyed traveling and visited 5 continents (except South America and Antarctica) as well as islands in the Pacific, Caribbean, and Atlantic. She also made many trips around the US to be with family. She loved music by the Carpenters, and was always looking for someone to go with her to a Broadway show or out to the movies. She was a skilled, resourceful, and creative homemaker who could do anything she set her mind to, from reupholstering furniture to making and selling homemade wreaths. She was a hard worker throughout her life. As a youth she worked in a small downtown Springville grocery store and as a carhop at the local A&W restaurant. She worked as the secretary to the chief accountant at U.S. Steel, then chose to focus on raising her 5 children, after which she earned her real estate license in Connecticut and enjoyed a successful career as a realtor and broker, even co-founding and running her own real estate agency. Renee lived a full and successful life by every worldly measure, but it was her family, friends, and faith that meant the most to her and where she built a lasting legacy. She was a committed and loyal wife, mother, and grandmother, devoted to the success and well-being of her family. She put her strong faith into action, serving diligently in Relief Society, Primary, and Young Women presidencies and 20 years as an ordinance worker in the Provo Temple. She was known to family and friends alike for keeping her refrigerator and pantry stocked with all kinds of goodies and treats. She was an unflagging cheerleader for each member of her family. She had high and clear expectations but showed great compassion, love, and understanding, always lifting spirits in times of struggle and enthusiastically celebrating success. A phone call with grandma always meant you were going to share everything and feel her unwavering love and support. Renee is survived by her husband Henry Heilesen; her children, Hank Heilesen (Brooke), Lori Niceler (Kirk), Todd Heilesen (Wendy), Celeste Farnsworth (Robert), and Stacey Charlesworth (Tim); and her 20 grandchildren, Taylor Farnsworth (Candice); Becca Dixon (Caleb); Lindsay and Elizabeth Farnsworth; Peter, Emma, Elijah, and Mary Alice Niceler; Seneca, Sander, Seth and Shea Heilesen; Heather, Ashley, Whitney, and Kristen Heilesen; and Julianna, Blake, Will, and Ella Charlesworth. She was preceded in death by her mother, father, and brothers Brent, Jimmy, and Steven. Renee’s family gives special thanks to her healthcare providers for their kind and professional care through her many health struggles, as well as to family, friends, and neighbors for their acts of kindness. In celebration of Renee’s life, a funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, September 8, 2018 at the Oak Hills 9th Ward Chapel, 1960 North 1500 East, Provo, Utah. Friends may call at the Berg Mortuary of Provo, 185 East Center Street, Friday, September 7 from 6-8:00 p.m. and at the church Saturday from 9:30-10:45 a.m. prior to services. Following the service, Renee will be buried next to her parents and brothers in Evergreen Cemetery in Springville, Utah. In lieu of flowers, friends may contribute at give.intermountainfoundation.org/utah-valley-hospital. For full obituary and online condolences, please visit www.bergmortuary.com.