Leslie Denise Paquette Baltz was born March 12, 1946, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, to Milton Eugene Paquette and Phyllis Joyce D’Ersby. Denise enjoyed telling folks she was an “air force brat” and had lived all over the world with her father, mother and brother Jim. In 1966, Denise married Odis Paul Baltz and settled in Mtn. View Arkansas. Throughout the years, she worked at several businesses in the community, including the hospital, chamber of commerce and Ozark Legal Services, from which she would eventually retire. Denise was known to her family affectionately as MAS thanks to her first grandchild’s inability to say grandma. Her life was devoted to her family, friends, work and her creative arts. There was no type of needlework or crafting she could not master and she often hand-made gifts for family and friends to treasure. As with many mamas and grandmamas and great grandmamas, her baking skills were also well known and greatly appreciated.
Denise passed away May 9th, 2025, at age 79 in Mtn. Home, Arkansas, after hanging on long enough to instruct her children, from her hospital bed, on everything they should and should not do from here on out. Rest assured, her instructions will be followed to the letter lest she make good on her promise to haunt us all relentlessly.
Denise is survived by three children, Christine Franks of Calico Rock, Stephen Baltz of Mtn. View, Karen Edwards (Barry) of Mtn. View, grandchildren Jarrett Moorehead (Kayla) of Calico Rock, Joshua Moorehead of Calico Rock, Karly Merced (Juan) of Georgia, Andrew Edwards (Brittney) of Georgia, Elijah Edwards (Brooke) of Georgia and great grandchildren Lauren and Beau Moorehead, Harper and Amelia Moorehead, Zach, Keoni, Jentzen and Kalista Merced, Will, Kade and Emalyn Edwards and Ethan, Brelynn, Aspen, Summer, Cooper, Briggs and Isabella Edwards. She is also survived by the three dearest lifelong friends that a person could ever wish for, Sherri Stewart, Neal Fraser and Pumpkin Wallis.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her beloved granddaughter Jessica Lauren Moorehead and two sons-in-law, Harold Dean Brewer and Rusty Lynn Franks.
Per her request, there will be no formal service as mom hated funerals, and she said you should go to see people while they are alive and not after. Cremation services were provided by the fine folks at Mtn. View Funeral Service.
When death’s dark stream I ferry o’er,
A time that surely shall come;
In Heaven itself, I’ll ask no more,
Than just a Highland welcome.
