Charlotte serviceman’s widow: ‘Stop and take stock in every moment’
Less than a week after Michael Heintz lost his life in a tragic shooting accident, his widow is speaking out only because she wants people to know how incredible her husband was.
“All I wanted to do is go be with my husband. I didn’t care, I just wanted to hold him. But I can’t,” Pharis Heintz said.
Pharis clung to Michael’s wedding band, just days after the phone rang in her Charlotte home, changing everything.
“All they said in somber words is, ‘Pharis, Michael is gone.’ And I’m like, ‘What do you mean gone? Where has he gone?’” Pharis said.
The South Carolina Army National Guard Command sergeant major served stateside and overseas for 23 years.
We often talked about, ‘Why do good things always happen to other people?’ And, I guess hindsight, good things always happened to us.
Pharis Heintz
Michael was target shooting with his brother and best friend in Lexington County, S.C., when his gun misfired, killing him instantly. His new widow is now left replaying her final moments with him.
“I was so caught up in everything I was doing that morning that it was barely a hug,” Pharis said.
Pharis says her husband and the people he was with were proficient with firearms; it was simply an accident. The Lexington County Sheriff’s Office is saying the same thing.
Now, four children are left without their beloved father and stepfather, and Pharis hopes people can learn from their story by realizing tragedy can strike anyone, anywhere.
“I am proof. These girls, these parents are proof that you can be taken in an instant. You need to stop and take stock in every moment that you have with every person that you love,” Pharis said.
An important reminder coming from a family who doesn’t get a do-over.
“We often talked about, why do good things always happen to other people? And, I guess hindsight, good things always happened to us but you just don’t recognize it in the moment,” Pharis said.
Michael Heintz was a native of Lancaster, S.C., but lived in Charlotte. He attended Elevation Church’s Lake Norman Campus.
A celebration of Heintz’s life with full military honors will be held 1 p.m. Saturday at Concord First Assembly.
In lieu of flowers, the family is asking memorials be made to support Elevation Church’s Youth Fund and the Wounded Warriors Project at https://www.gofundme.com/michaelwheintzcsm.
WBTV is an Observer news partner.
This story was originally published September 24, 2015 at 7:19 AM with the headline "Charlotte serviceman’s widow: ‘Stop and take stock in every moment’."