Faith Joy Heisler, a beloved daughter, sister, aunt and friend who dedicated her life to the service of the Lord, passed peacefully into eternal rest on July 5, 2026, at the age of 66. Born on November 21, 1959, in New York, NY, Faith dedicated her life to uplifting others through her profound faith and courageous and compassionate spirit.

Faith was a proud graduate of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, where she majored in biology and pre-medicine, earning a Bachelor of Psychology degree in 1981. A few years later, she earned a Master of Divinity degree from the Grace Theological Seminary in Winona Lake, Indiana. 

Throughout her life, Faith found ways to minister to others, sharing her steadfast belief in the Lord, meeting people wherever they were on their respective life journey. In fact, Faith herself, embarked on a variety of different career-related journeys, starting with her role as a senior Office Manager for the Warsaw, Indiana Emergency Medical Service, a position she held for nineteen years (1987-2006).

In 2006, Faith returned to Champaign-Urbana, Illinois where she completed a yearlong internship in Clinical Pastoral Education & Care under the auspices of the Carle Hospital. During this time Faith developed exceptional skill in ministering to individuals needing end-of-life care, gaining valuable experience supporting the spiritual needs of patients and families from a wide range of cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.

After completing her program in pastoral care, Faith returned to Indiana where she spent two years (2008-2010) working at Elliott's Heating & Air Conditioning, serving as an administrator, project manager and database analyst. 

While in Indiana, Faith established an extensive network of lifelong connections and friendships with members of the Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church, where she served as a Care Team Member, specializing in offering spiritual care and support to nursing home residents.

Faith remained in Indiana for several more years, working for the State of Indiana and in several other positions before moving to Florida to be closer to her three sisters, all of whom came to rely on Faith as a beacon of strength, care and support, particularly following the death of their parents in 2003 (Mother, Priscilla) and 2006 (Father, Steven). And while the four sisters were able to spend several years in relatively close geographic proximity, time was not on their side. For despite a valiant battle, their youngest sister, Rosann, succumbed to cancer in February 2020, followed by three other devastating losses: the demise of a beloved niece, Sarah four months later, and three weeks after that, the loss of Sarah's mother (Faith's sister), Carol. 

During the next two years Faith and her sister Hope supported each other, until Hope too, succumbed to the effects of aggressive cancer, passing away in 2022. 

Shortly after weathering this series of devastating and truly life-shattering losses-coupled by the equally devastating news that Faith was experiencing a second cancer diagnosis of her own, Faith authored an essay titled "How Can a Loving Father God Allow the Distress of Bad Things?" In her essay she wrote

"So, even though I had a hurricane of hardships enter my life, God caused my faith to grow, as I have seen Him provide and turned the bad things into good things (Rom 8:28-29). This has taught me to not surrender to panic and despair when the distress of bad things is allowed to enter my life (Rom 8:37-39). Even though I do not understand the reason for the distress, God knows, loves me, and will care for me through, not in spite of, the bad things (Rom 11:33)."

This excerpt truly exemplified Faith's entire life journey, for despite having experienced an endless array of extraordinary challenges and overwhelming obstacles, Faith's trust and belief in the Eternal never wavered. She faced each and every crisis head-on, and did so with a unique blend of wisdom, grace, courage, compassion and dignity. She was, and will always be, a source of inspiration to all who were fortunate enough to know and love her.

A graveside service will be held in her honor on July 27, 2026, at 11:00 AM at Charlotte Harbor Cemetery, Punta Gorda, FL. A memorial service celebrating Faith's extraordinary life will be held at the Winona Lake Grace Church, IN, at a later date.

As we celebrate Faith's life, we remember her as a loving daughter, sister, aunt, and cherished friend. A true and steadfast servant of God, may her spirit continue to inspire us all, and may her memory always be for a blessing.