Ronald Lee Heil

Ron is survived and will be deeply missed by his wife Maddie, his children Kristin & Gary Schillinger of New Orleans and Jeremy & Tamara Heil of Littleton, his grandchildren Jaxon and Jayden, his brother and sister-in-law Gordon & Harriett Heil of Aurora, and a loving community of extended family and friends. Ron was predeceased by his parents, Darrell and Mary Helen Heil of Greeley, brother Darrell Wayne Heil Jr. of Greeley, and sister Mary Ellen Murray of Ohio, who passed away one day before Ron.

A proud Greeley native, Ron’s lifelong appreciation for history and the arts was shaped in part by his education at Cameron Elementary, Heath Junior High, and Greeley Central High School (class of 1967). He earned his degree in Psychology from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA (class of 1971), and his experience living in the Pacific Northwest helped fuel his passion for travel. Upon graduation, Ron returned to Greeley to build a beautiful life: he married Maddie in June 1973 and juggled being an active family man with his professional career, which included more than 10 years at McKenzie Cabinets in Greeley and Cheyenne, then 22 years at the Greeley Tribune, before retiring from the Department of Labor and Employment after 5 years with the State of Colorado.

Ron truly loved giving back to his community, and he did so generously through his involvement in a number of activities and organizations through the years. He spent nearly three decades supporting Colorado youth soccer, serving as a coach and referee. Ron also served as a volunteer or board member for a number of local organizations including the Greeley Interfaith Association, Area Agency on Aging, United Way Weld County, Greeley Food Bank, Historic Preservation Committee, Human Relations Commission, Active Adult Center photography group, Guadalupe Center, Habitat for Humanity, Weld County AAA Film Festival Committee, Aging & Disability Resource of Colorado, the Waste Not program, Trustee at First Congregational Church of Greeley, and a parent volunteer builder for school and church playgrounds. He also proudly supported the Judd K. Fulton Golf Tournament and the Fore Sam’s Kids Tournament & Scholarship, and volunteered his time on many occasions at various elementary schools with Weld County School District 6; following his retirement he regularly tutored first graders in math. Whether the need was big or small, he was always there.

Above all, Ron was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and friend. An avid traveler, he created special memories with those he loved all around the world — with highlights being adventures in New Zealand and Down Under in Australia like snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, several river and ocean cruises and land tours throughout Europe, visiting all 50 states, and island hopping and reuniting with Maddie’s family in Hawaii. He was a lifelong music lover and football fan, an artist and craftsman who especially loved working with wood and stained glass, and passions he discovered in his seasoned years were ballroom dancing and gourmet cooking. Ron will be dearly missed and always remembered by the many people he encountered on his delightful life’s journey.

A celebration of life will be held in Ron’s honor on Father’s Day. We request all who knew and loved Ron to join us in remembering his beautiful life at First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ Greeley (​​2101 16th St.) on Sunday, June 16 at 3pm or stream online at:

https://tinyurl.com/mp7r2wnp