Barton Lee Heefner

Barton Lee Heefner of Scituate, MA passed away peacefully on October 25, 2019 at the age of 75 with his wife and children by his side.  He was born on May 31, 1944 to the late Barton M. and Geraldine (Cromwell) Heefner in Denver, CO and then spent most of his early life in Dedham, MA. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY and his Master’s Degree from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.  In between degrees he combined his love of music with his family’s history in aviation by enlisting in the United States Air Force, attaining the rank of Captain conducting the 505th Air Force Band of the Midwest at Chanute AFB in Rantoul, IL. While he performed for years, including several years playing trumpet and also acting as Assistant Conductor for the Metropolitan Wind Symphony, it was his career as an educator where he had the most impact. As the band director for Hanover High School from 1981 until his retirement in 2005, he built a strong music education program and touched the lives of thousands of students, many of whom affectionately referred to him as “Heef.”

Upon retirement, he and Diane traveled to Hawaii, Alaska, Iceland, the Grand Canyon, and the Pacific and Atlantic Coasts and just last month to Gettysburg, PA to indulge his lifelong enthusiasm for the Civil War. Other favorite social activities and hobbies included photography, attending musical and theater performances, dining out, and enjoying chats with his neighbors and the antics of all their children and dogs.  He especially loved playing golf and had a tightknit golf group of fellow retired educators. However, he was always happiest at home in Scituate with Diane, where a good day would include walking the cliffs nearby and reading from his extensive personal library of books covering not just the Civil War but also general American History and politics, World War II, aerospace and aviation. 

He is survived by his loving wife Diane (Riendeau) Heefner, daughter Sheryl Heefner of Manhattan, NY, son and daughter-in-law Matthew and Jessica Heefner of Abington, MA and their children Dillon, Kylie, and Myles Heefner.  

The family would like to express their gratitude to Dr. Michael Anderson, Dr. Jonathan Metzger, Dr. David Kuter, Dr. David P. Steensma, Dr. Kathleen Haley, Dr. Aravind Menon, and the staff of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham & Women’s Hospital for their extraordinary care of Bart over the past ten years.

Visiting hours will be at the Sullivan Funeral Home, 551 Washington St, Rte 53 in Hanover on Wednesday, October 30 from 4-6:30 PM.  A short service will be held in the funeral home that same evening at 7 PM.  Burial at the National Cemetery in Bourne will be at a later date.

Memorial donations can be made in Bart’s memory to:

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

PO Box 849168

Boston, MA 02284-9168

https://danafarber.jimmyfund.org

or to

The Stanley R. Tippett Hospice Home

920 South Street

Needham, MA 02492

https://vnacare.org/patients/stanley-r-tippett-home