Anita Faye Heykants

June 28, 1944 - January 29, 2021

Anita Faye Heykants died peacefully on January 29, 2021 at Taylor House Hospice in Des Moines, Iowa from breast cancer. While cancer may have taken her strength, her health, and ultimately her life, it could never take the deep love she had for her family and friends and the memories created by a life well-lived. She loved to cook and bake. She worked hard to pass her keen skills in the kitchen on to her children and she enjoyed seeing their abilities grow, especially in recent years. Her talent in the kitchen was rivaled only by her talent in the sewing room. She took pride in her education and obtained not only her Bachelor’s degree but also a Master’s. She also took pride in her lawn and it was a great source of joy for her to have the best lawn in the neighborhood. Though she started late in life, she became an expert at cursing. She enjoyed going dancing and was able to fulfill her travel dreams. She made frequent trips to London to see her daughter Krista, traveled in Minnesota and Colorado with her son Mark, and took repeated trips to Hawaii with her other daughter Kara. Of all the places she was able to experience, her heart lived in Hawaii. She was fortunate enough to share its beauty with not only Kara but with her other two children as well. Faye was a dedicated pet owner and although she continually said she was done getting pets, more kept finding their way into her life and her heart. Two of her cats, Pooky and Kona, were constantly by her side during her final months and were a great source of comfort. Faye was preceded in death by her parents, Art & Arlene Homervold. She is survived by her three children, Mark (Nikki) Heinzig of Manitou Springs, CO, Krista Heinzig (Jody Ansems) of London, England and Kara Heinzig of Ankeny, IA; her grandson, Peter Heinzig of St. Paul, MN; Bill Heinzig of Ankeny, IA; and many cousins with whom she shared a lot of laughs with over the years. On one of Krista’s visits home, she and Kara realized how well their mother’s name fit into knock knock jokes. Knock knock! Who’s there? Anita? Anita Who? Anita one more hug from Faye.