Mrs. Keriellen H. (Shirk) Heydt

Keriellen H. (Shirk) Heydt, age 47, passed away, surrounded by her loving family, on Wednesday, December 13, 2023, in her home in Fleetwood.

Born in West Reading, she was a lifelong resident of Fleetwood, where she was raised by her mother, Donna J. (Wanner) Steigerwalt and Stepfather, Douglas D. Steigerwalt, of Fleetwood, who survive her.

Keriellen was a 1994 graduate of Fleetwood High School and a 1999 graduate of Kutztown University with a degree in elementary and special education. During her school years she was employed by the former Zimmerman's Flower Shop, Schell's Dairy Swirl, and as JV Field Hockey coach at Fleetwood.
She was a member of Maidencreek Church.

Keriellen was employed as a Life Skills teacher at Reading School District's Amanda E. Stout Elementary for 22 years, retiring earlier this year because of her illness.

Keri and her husband, Brian D. Heydt, celebrated 20 years of marriage on June 7, 2023.

Keriellen was a born nurturer and teacher, and was a staunch supporter of and advocate for her special education students. She loved her job, her students and her AES family.

She also loved peacocks and displayed them everywhere. She did not love shoes. Wearing sandals with crazy socks was her thing! She was a Celine Dion Fan.

Nothing in life came close to being as important to her as "her boys". Their academic achievements, sports activities, musical talents, and incredible personalities were her reason for living. She enjoyed reading with them, hanging out in the pool with them, sitting outside with them on a quiet evening, seeing them smile, and being part of their growing up.

Traveling with them brought her much joy, most notably a cross country trip in 2022 with the boys, Brian, Doug, and Donna to celebrate Dougie's high school graduation.

Her 5 sons survive: Douglas Brian (19), Elliot Wanner (15), Maxwell Ian (14), Joseph Emerick (11) and Spencer George (9), all at home. Additional Survivors: Brother, Nicholas T. Shirk, his wife, Tara L. (Hausman), and their son, Jackson Tyler, of Laureldale. Brother: Benjamin R. Shirk, his wife, Raynelle L. (Raymond), and their children, Roanoke and Cassadie, Fleetwood. Father: Lloyd R. Shirk, Fleetwood. Paternal Grandmother: Anna Mae (Keller) Shirk, Blandon.

She was predeceased by her maternal grandparents with whom she shared a very special bond: Donald G. Wanner and June B. (Emerick) Wanner. Keri missed them very much since their passing and made sure her boys remembered Nan and Pop. Also predeceased by paternal grandfather, Lloyd W. Shirk.
We wish to acknowledge Kate Peires, CRNP, Marc Rovito, MD, FACP, and their nursing staff who stood by Keriellen every step of the way during her illness and whose knowledge and guidance afforded us the opportunity to enjoy her love for 3 more years.

Our Mom is our hero. She fought this beast of a disease with courage and tenacity for more than 3 years. She never complained, never asked why me? She did everything in her power to be with us as long as she could, enduring countless rounds of treatment and the awful side effects.

We will miss our Mom every day for the rest of our lives. Our hearts hurt so much because she loved us so much and we love her so much. We find comfort in knowing we were blessed with the Mom everyone wishes they had.

Memorial Services for Keriellen will be held on Wednesday, December 27, 2023, at 11:00 am at Walbert Funeral Home & Crematory, Fleetwood, PA. A visitation will be held, Wednesday, December 27, 2023, from 9:00 am to 11:00 am at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, Keriellen's family would appreciate contributions to assist her boys. Contributions may be made to the Heydt Boys Benefit Fund, PO Box 495, Fleetwood, PA 19522.

Walbert Funeral Home & Crematory, Fleetwood, is honored to be caring for Keriellen and her family at the very difficult time. Online condolences may be offered at wwwWalbertFuneralHome.com.