1929 – 2017
Milton Weeks Heath Jr. held many titles in his lifetime.
He was a businessman, serving as president/CEO and chairman of the board for Heath Consultants, a manufacturer and consulting firm providing products and services for utility asset management and damage prevention. He was a patriot, serving overseas in the military after completing his education. And he was an active participant on numerous committees and boards as an ambassador for the natural gas industry.
But more than all of that, he was a gentleman, through and through.
“Milton’s concern and caring for anyone he associated with enabled him to be an effective and respected industry leader,” said Lori Traweek, chief operating officer at the American Gas Association.
He would greet you with a warm smile, but he would always stand tough for what he believed in—and he was a staunch supporter of doing the right thing when it came to enhancing safety and reliability.
During a career that spanned 60 years, Heath focused on promoting leak detection and public safety, expanding the company that his father founded and regionalizing it across the United States and into Canada, Germany and Australia. He was also one of the pioneers who paved the way for natural gas vendors to have a larger voice and role in the industry by helping to establish the Operations and Equipment Services Associates Managing Committee at the American Gas Association.
Heath sat on an AGA committee for more than three decades as a longstanding and outstanding member of the natural gas community, recalled Kimberly Denbow, security, operations & engineering services director at AGA. “When he entered a room, he had a presence,” said Denbow. “It was always, ‘There’s Milton.’ ”
Heath was passionate about serving others and encouraging them in their careers. He was also a champion for people and causes that brought forward improved technologies and effective work methods related to safety and the natural gas industry.
Along with his role with AGA, Heath also served in numerous committee positions and chairmanships for the American Public Gas Association, Southeastern Gas Association, Southern Gas Association, International Gas Union, Canadian Gas Association, The Society of Gas Operators and Texas Gas Association.
He was also an active member and former mayor of the Gild of Ancient Supplers, a fraternal organization representing suppliers to the gas industry throughout the United States and Canada. During his mayorship, Heath’s theme was Associate, Participate, Educate—all with a goal of continuing to demonstrate the vital role of suppliers in supporting and promoting the use of natural gas.
Heath passed away on June 20, and in the invitation for his Celebration of Life, his family wrote, “[He was] an extraordinary gentleman who touched the lives of so many in his personal life and travels as a business professional.”
“That was Milton,” said Denbow. “He was more than just about business. Both personally and professionally, he valued relationships and people. He will be missed, but he is still in our hearts, and his significant contributions to the safe and reliable delivery of natural gas will live on.”
