Obituaries
Obituary for John Leo "Jack" Heiser
PEORIA – John Leo “Jack” Heiser, 95, of Snyder Village, Metamora, passed away on Sunday, February 5, 2017, in Proctor Hospital.
He was born on April 19, 1921 in Ottawa, Illinois, to John and Lillian Kuhn Heiser. He married Maybelle Penney on November 4, 1944 at Dos Palos, California.
Surviving are his wife, Maybelle; one daughter, Karen (Dan) Gaumer of Decatur, and five sons, John (Thesie) of Peoria, Richard (Susan) of Bloomington, Michael of Bartonville, Steven (Dee Dee) of Washington, and Mark (Jeanne) of Washington; eleven grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren.
Jack was a World War II veteran serving 30 months in California as a medic with the U. S. Air Force at Minter Field, a Basic Flight School, near Bakersfield and at Eagle Field, a Primary Flight School, near Dos Palos. When Eagle Field was closed in 1944, he was transferred to the Infantry where he served in Central Europe and with Military Government in Germany.
A 1949 graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, he majored in Accounting and was President of the professional fraternity, Beta Gamma Sigma. He worked as an accountant and as an Employee Benefit Plan Administrator for Caterpillar, Inc., from 1949 until his retirement on January 1, 1985.
Before retiring, Jack and his sons built a diesel powered 36-foot sail boat, the “May Belle” in his Washington, IL., backyard. He and Maybelle motor-sailed down the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans in November, 1985. They spent ten months at New Orleans on Lake Pontchartrain; then they crossed the Gulf of Mexico to Florida. In April, 1986, they motored the rim route on Lake Okeechobee to Stuart, Florida, and headed north on the Intracoastal Waterway. With many fascinating Ports of Call along the way, they arrived in Boston shortly before Labor Day. Their return trip to Florida took until early November. Many spring and fall seasons thereafter were spent aboard “May Belle” in Florida waters and on Chesapeake Bay where she was sold in December, 2001.
He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, Spalding Council #427. He was a member of the American Legion Peoria Post 2, and served with the Post Color Guard. He held office as Treasurer for the City of Washington, Illinois from 1957 to 1961. Jack was also an Oblate of St. Benedict.
He was a member of St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Peoria Heights where a funeral mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, February 11, 2017. Visitation will be at 10:00 a.m. at the church. Father Paul Stark, S.J., will officiate. Entombment will be in Resurrection Mausoleum. Following entombment, a meal will be provided in the parish hall.
Memorials may be made to St. Jude Midwest Affiliate or to St. Thomas Food Pantry.
Friends and family may sign the online guestbook or send private condolences by logging onto www.wrightandsalmon.com.
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He was born on April 19, 1921 in Ottawa, Illinois, to John and Lillian Kuhn Heiser. He married Maybelle Penney on November 4, 1944 at Dos Palos, California.
Surviving are his wife, Maybelle; one daughter, Karen (Dan) Gaumer of Decatur, and five sons, John (Thesie) of Peoria, Richard (Susan) of Bloomington, Michael of Bartonville, Steven (Dee Dee) of Washington, and Mark (Jeanne) of Washington; eleven grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren.
Jack was a World War II veteran serving 30 months in California as a medic with the U. S. Air Force at Minter Field, a Basic Flight School, near Bakersfield and at Eagle Field, a Primary Flight School, near Dos Palos. When Eagle Field was closed in 1944, he was transferred to the Infantry where he served in Central Europe and with Military Government in Germany.
A 1949 graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, he majored in Accounting and was President of the professional fraternity, Beta Gamma Sigma. He worked as an accountant and as an Employee Benefit Plan Administrator for Caterpillar, Inc., from 1949 until his retirement on January 1, 1985.
Before retiring, Jack and his sons built a diesel powered 36-foot sail boat, the “May Belle” in his Washington, IL., backyard. He and Maybelle motor-sailed down the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans in November, 1985. They spent ten months at New Orleans on Lake Pontchartrain; then they crossed the Gulf of Mexico to Florida. In April, 1986, they motored the rim route on Lake Okeechobee to Stuart, Florida, and headed north on the Intracoastal Waterway. With many fascinating Ports of Call along the way, they arrived in Boston shortly before Labor Day. Their return trip to Florida took until early November. Many spring and fall seasons thereafter were spent aboard “May Belle” in Florida waters and on Chesapeake Bay where she was sold in December, 2001.
He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, Spalding Council #427. He was a member of the American Legion Peoria Post 2, and served with the Post Color Guard. He held office as Treasurer for the City of Washington, Illinois from 1957 to 1961. Jack was also an Oblate of St. Benedict.
He was a member of St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Peoria Heights where a funeral mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, February 11, 2017. Visitation will be at 10:00 a.m. at the church. Father Paul Stark, S.J., will officiate. Entombment will be in Resurrection Mausoleum. Following entombment, a meal will be provided in the parish hall.
Memorials may be made to St. Jude Midwest Affiliate or to St. Thomas Food Pantry.
Friends and family may sign the online guestbook or send private condolences by logging onto www.wrightandsalmon.com.
Previous Events
Visitation
Saturday
11
Feb
10:00 AM
- 10:30 AM
St. Thomas Catholic Church
904 E Lake Ave
Peoria Heights, IL 61616
Funeral Mass
Saturday
11
Feb
10:30 AM
St. Thomas Catholic Church
904 E Lake Ave
Peoria Heights, IL 61616
Cemetery Details
Location
Resurrection Cemetery & Mausoleum
7519 N Allen Rd
Peoria, IL 61614
Memorial Contribution
St. Jude Midwest Affiliate
St. Thomas the Apostle Food Pantry
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