Taunton mall rampage hero posthumously honored with Carnegie Medal

TAUNTON, Mass. — It’s been nearly a year since George Heath was killed while defending his wife and a pregnant waitress from an armed attacker at the Silver City Galleria in Taunton, but now he is being recognized for his heroic acts.

George and his wife Rosemary were eating dinner at Bertucci’s in the mall, not knowing that a man had stolen a car and was running through the mal toward them.

“We heard the scream. We both looked left and then we stood up,” Rosemary said.

George helped save the waitress who screamed, but was stabbed in the head and killed.

“You try and say you know he died a hero. He died saving someone. It's supposed to take the sting. It doesn't,” Rosemary said.

That was on May 10, 2016.

This week, the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission announced that George would be honored with his heroics actions.

It's a prestigious award and Rosemary Heath was proud to accept it, but with mixed emotions.

“After you have those filled with pride moments you have the crash. You know he wouldn't have gotten this if he didn't die,” Rosemary said.

Rosemary Heath calls her dark moments "the nevers" -- those times when she thinks about all the things she'll never get to do with husband George again.

But, with warm memories in her heart, she never lets the nevers linger.

“You have to get up - if it's a day, okay, two days, okay. By day three, you’d better get up because you're smelling now. Take a shower,” she said.

Cox Media Group