Surrounded by love, in her 39th year, Heather died of cancer on May 23, 2021. Survived by her husband of 14 years, William Bruce Parsons Jr., their daughter, Eudora Rose Barnes Parsons, mother Mary Helen Barnes, brothers Spencer Taylor Barnes and Justin Peter Barnes. Predeceased by her father Peter Arnold Grant Barnes, and cousin Denver Andrew Rabishaw. The hearts of her grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews and niece have broken alongside those of her in-laws, friends, and Eudora’s birth family. Heather was gracious and gentle, thoughtful and kind, delightful and humorous, lively and fun.

Born January 29, 1983 in Toronto, Canada, Heather’s musical ability and ambition led her to graduate from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance; she also earned her Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Montana. Heather was a professional singer, musician, and educator who excelled at making music and sharing that gift with others everywhere she lived. A soprano with a love of new music, she was most proud of her musical partnership with dear friend Jennifer Bewerse; they maintained their collaboration as Heather and her family moved from Montana to Kunshan (China), and eventually, North Carolina.

Heather loved being a mother to Eudora, in whose education, delightful personality, and thoughtful and creative mind she experienced exceeding joy. Together, the two of them made the ordinary into special occasions, and made occasions into memorable day-long adventures, often with colorful costumes, props, crafts, flowers, and scientific experiments.

Heather enjoyed good food and good books; late mornings with coffee and swimming at the Taylor family cottage; fireflies at midnight and botanical gardens; talking, traveling, and laughing with her husband; and sleepover parties with Eudora.

Heather had the ill fortune to be afflicted by aggressive metastatic breast cancer in the midst of a pandemic, displaced from her home and extended family. She spent the first 11 months of her illness seeking new creative outlets, spending time with her immediate family and especially her daughter, and doing the difficult and necessary work of coping with grief and disease while living well. Many people provided extraordinary remote support to Heather during this difficult time, including Jen, Alice, Larissa, Parker, Angie, and Mary. After Heather entered hospice in January of 2021, she was joined in North Carolina by her brother, Justin, and her mother, Mary Helen. Together with the friends and family who were able to visit, they provided indispensable support to Heather and her family and spent treasured months with Heather as she approached the end of her life.

The family is grateful to Duke University and the staff at the Duke Cancer and Medical Centers. These institutions provided excellent care and facilitated a supportive environment, including her decision to enter hospice care, first at the SECU Jim and Betsy Bryan Hospice Home of UNC and then in in-home hospice supported by UNC Hospice. The support offered to the entire family by hospice staff enabled Heather to live and die in the way that she wished.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you offer donations in Heather’s memory to one of two organizations that she supported in her lifetime: the Myrna Loy Center of Helena, MT or the Bach Children’s Chorus of Toronto, ON. The family will hold a small private ceremony when it is safe to gather together again.