Joanne F. Heine | Shop director, 57

Joanne F. Kane Heine, 57, of Quakertown, a customer service director, died of complications from scleroderma Wednesday at Lehigh Valley Hospital.

Mrs. Heine graduated from West Philadelphia Catholic High School for Girls, where she was student council president in her senior year, and attended Ursinus College. For almost 20 years, she was director of customer service at Cherrydale Farms. The Pennsburg firm sells chocolates and sundries for school fund-raising.

She was good at her job, stepdaughter Christine Acarregui said. She genuinely loved people and would quickly learn a person's life story, Acarregui said.

Mrs. Heine and her husband, Gary, retired president of Cherrydale Farms, met at work and married in 1999. The couple traveled several times to Germany, his homeland, and she was learning German, her stepdaughter said. She enjoyed travel and gardening, and found great joy in her grandchildren.

In addition to her husband and stepdaughter, Mrs. Heine is survived by sons Jason and Tim; daughter Stacia Preston; mother Jean Kane; stepdaughter Kim Damion; stepson Douglas; a sister; three brothers; and eight grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her former husband, Harry Mattis.

A funeral will be at 11 a.m. today at Christ Community Bible Church, 1830 N. Ridge Rd., Perkasie. Friends may call at 10.