Celebration of Life - Heather Joan Pullen
Forever in our hearts, Heather left us peacefully on Tuesday, September 15, 2020 after a three-year battle with breast cancer.
Generous, kind, thoughtful and selfless, Heather was a friend to all who were lucky enough to cross her path, whether as a family member, a journalist, a broadcaster, a communications specialist, a student or a teacher.
She encompassed all those aspects in her 65 years on earth.
Heather was born in Regina but spent the early part of her life in Calgary, the third of four children born to Jack and Kay Pullen.
Her formative years were a whirlwind of achievement, whether it was academics or athletics. A straight-A student, Heather swam competitively at the Winter Club and built a solid golf game at the Elks Club. Soon enough, her dad introduced her to skiing and she left her mark at Mount Norquay, Lake Louise and Sunshine.
She dreamed of a career in journalism and made that dream a reality when she graduated from Carleton University’s honours journalism program in the spring of 1977.
Her first job after graduating was a short stint at a startup newspaper called Ottawa Today. The newspaper didn’t last but it was during that time that she met her future husband, Ken Fidlin. They were married in August of 1979 and spent the next 41 years in a marriage filled with love and happiness.
Her second job was a 10-year stint at CBC Radio where she eventually became one of an elite group producing documentaries for the network’s flagship program, Sunday Morning.
In 1987, she made an abrupt career shift, leaving CBC behind for a job as a communications specialist at Toronto General Hospital. That opened the door to 30 years of health care communications, including 13 years as Manager of Public Relations at Hamilton Health Sciences. She loved being part of a close-knit team working in a public service setting.
