Doug was born on May 1, 1934, in Benton Harbor, Michigan. After graduating from Benton Harbor High School, he began a career as a Product Engineer at Whirlpool Corporation from which he retired 45 years later in 1999. Doug was a life-long car enthusiast and was a member of Twin Cities Sports Car Club in the 1950s and 1960s.
Doug was an incredibly talented engineer and jack of all trades, including vehicle repair and home repair and remodeling. He took great pride in his many hobbies, including woodworking, through which he built many pieces of furniture, a beautiful canoe from half-inch strips of wood, and ten-foot-tall Grecian columns that made those who saw his work say, “How the heck did you do that?” He enjoyed discussing the intricacies of his workmanship, pointing out the fine detail he put into his creations. He was an exceptional craftsman.
Doug was also an avid golfer, tennis player, cyclist, and even played a mean game of bridge when he was cajoled into sitting for that long. He was a licensed pilot who loved to fly his Piper Cherokee single-engine airplane. He earned Scuba diving certification and enjoyed diving during vacations in the Cayman Islands.
Doug was a devoted husband and father, which was made evident by how he lovingly and diligently cared for his first wife, Pat, during her 10-year struggle with early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease. Doug eventually relocated to Naples, FL with his second wife, Suzy, and enjoyed golfing year-round and spending time with friends and family.
Doug is survived by his children, Cheryl Jeffery (Tom Wilkinson), Cristine Heaps, Paul (Becky) Heaps; stepchildren Gigi (Tom) Broccolo and Jeff Gersonde; grandchildren, Elise and James Jeffery, Brayan Zivan, Emily and Nathan Heaps Edwards, JP and Jordan Heaps; step-grandchildren Katie (Brett) Parker and Kelsey (Harrison) Hyppolite; and step-greatgrandchild Jaxon Hyppolite.
Doug was preceded in death by his first wife, Patricia (Tiefenbach) Heaps, second wife, Suzy (Gersonde) Heaps, son-in-law, Mark Edwards, half-sisters, Roberta Stevens and Ruth (Stevens) Nicoli, and parents Carl and Isabel Heaps. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.hodgesfhatnaplesmg.com for the Heaps family.
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