Gary James Heiligenthal

Gary James Heiligenthal passed into the Arms of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on Saturday, March 22, 2025, at the age of 84. Born March 12, 1941, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, his parents were Alfred Wendlen and Hertha (Blumner) Heiligenthal.

Graduating from Solomon Juneau High School, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1959, at the age of 17, just one month shy of his 18th birthday. Active in Vietnam, he served as a Military Escort and worked in aviation. He retired from the United States Marine Corps in 1978 as a Gunnery Sergeant. He then went on to work for McDonnell-Douglas, later Boeing as a Senior Engineer, both in Long Beach, California and Yuma, Arizona. He was in Flight Test, utilizing the Global Positioning System, by LASER-Tracking of airplanes. After retiring from McDonnell-Douglas, he was employed at the United States Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, Arizona as a Senior Engineer in the FM Mobile Unit for eight years. He worked two years at Yuma Proving Ground in 1984, in between a plant shutdown at McDonnell Douglas.

Active in several committees at various churches, he also taught Sunday School, AWANA, sang in the Choir, and was active in producing Sunday’s television broadcast and various other programs at First Southern Baptist Church, Yuma.

He and his wife, Mary, were Sustaining Members of the Southern California Railway Museum in Perris, California, where Gary was a Volunteer Motorman for the past eight years. He transported passengers around the 95-acre working museum, running trolley cars and participating in many events, such as the Day Out with Thomas Event (Thomas the Train), the Civil War Re-enactment, Steam Punk, and the Dinosaur Train Event with the orange dinosaur, Buddy.

He is survived by his wife, together for 49 years, Mary Ruth Heiligenthal (née Weaver) of Yuma; Daughter Vikki Marie Gorman (Larry), Grandson Finn Michael Gorman all of Phoenix, Step-Grandson Ryan Gorman (Callie) of the United States Air Force; Son John Thomas Heiligenthal (Erika), Granddaughters Gracie Mae and Mattie Rose Heiligenthal, all of Yuma, Step-Grandsons, Derrik and Jakob Naegelin of Texas and Yuma, respectively; Sister Janet Buetow of Waupaca, WI.; Nephews Mark (Kelly) and Scott Buetow of Wisconsin; three children by a previous marriage, Son David (Judi) Heiligenthal, Step-Grandson, Michael, all of California; Daughter Nadine Ruiz of Maryland, Granddaughter Rachael (Craig) Padula, Grandson Gabriel Ruiz all of Connecticut; Daughter Melissa Heiligenthal, Grandchildren Jordan (KeKe) Pipitone, Daniel (Jessenia) Pipitone, Kalyn (Tyler) Brown, Tyler (Tara Elizabeth) Pipitone, Levi Pipitone, Lily (Eric) Roach, Jr., Layla, Mylee, and Charlie Pipitone, all of Georgia.

Currently a member of The Rock Church on Gila Ridge Road of Yuma, Associate Pastor Zack Kondracki will officiate. Funeral Services will be held at Johnson Mortuary, 1415 S. 1st Avenue, Yuma, AZ 85364, 928-782-4384, on April 3, 2025, at 11:00am. Military Honors will follow at the gravesite. Beverly Boy Productions will provide Livestreaming. He will be interred at Desert Lawn Memorial Park, Yuma, Arizona.

https://youtu.be/g1cDNwbKdv4?si=a1lQ8CkJRnPjZ6nm