Johnny Heck Jr.

      When Johnny Heck Jr. walked into the room, those in his company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Johnny was and how he impacted those around him. Johnny was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Johnny wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Johnny was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve him well throughout his life.      Johnny was born on January 9, 1959 at Doctor's Hospital in Morristown, Tennessee. He was the son of Johnny, Sr. and Katrena Heck. Johnny was raised in Bulls Gap, Tennessee. Always at the ready with a good joke, he grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Johnny might describe him as an idealist, his friends and family understood well that Johnny was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to him.      Johnny was raised with four siblings. He had one older brother, Darrell, one younger brother, Jim and two older sisters, Pansy and Barbara. Johnny was very accepting and supportive of his family. These traits served Johnny well in his adult life and, along with his wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew him.      As a young boy, Johnny was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew him into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Johnny was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with his peers. He was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. In his spare time he liked to go hunting and fishing. Johnny had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity he and the many childhood friends he shared might discover.      During his high school years, Johnny responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. He graduated from West Greene High School in 1977. His favorite class in high school was woodworking shop.      With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought him an endless stream of friends, Johnny was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Johnny was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. He always seemed aware of what was going on with people around him and throughout his life he made many, many friends. While growing up, some of his best friends were Ray Susong, and the Parkers; Frog, Jerry, Gene and Jeff. Later in life, he became friends with David Whitt, Joe Fincher, Eldon Myers, Darrell Myers, Chuck Hurst, Robert Gregg, Danny Barnes, John Poore, Johnny Harmon, Billy Jarnigan and Herby Young.      On May 18, 1979 Johnny married Pamela Jane Christian at the home of his parents in Bulls Gap, Tennessee. Johnny's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in his ability to make his new family happy. He was quite sensitive towards Pamela's needs, showing his constant concern and fondness. Johnny was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served him well in helping to nurture his family.      Johnny was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide his family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Johnny, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of his life. Johnny's skill at understanding his children's feelings, his sensitivity to their needs, and his gift for gentle persuasion enabled him to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. Johnny was blessed with one child and one step-child: daughter, Autumn Hall and step-son, Cleit Lance Everhart. He was also blessed with one grandchild, Brittany Everhart.      Johnny was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made him an exceptional worker. His primary occupation was a machinist. He was employed for 23 years by Mahle, Inc in Morristown, Tennessee. Johnny had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of his gift for insight. Johnny's fellow workers saw him as a supporter and a hard worker.      Because Johnny loved to have a broad variety of activities in his life, he took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. His favorite pursuits were turkey shoots, raising roosters and playing pool. Johnny had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of his favorite pastimes. However, Johnny's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.     Johnny was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were Nascar and football.      Though he never did anything solely for individual recognition, Johnny's ingenuity, resourcefulness, and selflessness, earned him accolades for his many lifelong efforts. Some of his most prestigious awards included numerous achievement awards from Mahle, Inc.      Johnny's love of improvising in his daily life was a perfect fit for his enjoyment of traveling. Traveling in a casual manor fit his personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Johnny took his vacations seriously, well, as seriously as he possibly could. Favorite vacations included Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.      Johnny was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. Trouble, a Boxer bulldog, was a best friend for two years. His family was rounded out by his chickens and other farm animals.      Johnny Heck passed away on November 1, 2009 at his home. He is survived by his daughter, Autumn Hall; step-son, Cleit Lance Everhart; granddaughter, Brittany Everhart; mother, Katrena Heck; brothers and sisters-in-law, Darrell and Vanessa Heck of Bulls Gap and James and Suzanne Heck of Bulls Gap; sister and brother-in-law, Pansy and Doug Jones of Bulls Gap; nieces and nephews, Melissa Helton, Heather Benke, Jaymie Crezzo, J.D. Heck, Lee Heck, Georgeanna Guffey, Michael Hyde, Casey McAmis, Holly McAmis, Taylor McAmis, Macie Heck and Addison Heck; a number of aunts, uncles, great nieces and nephews and a special friend, Elizabeth Powell. Services were held at Bulls Gap Funeral Home. Johnny was laid to rest in Otis Cemetery in Bulls Gap, Tennessee.      There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Johnny. He was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. He had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While he was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Johnny Heck for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Johnny was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with his loved ones.