John Heetderks was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on December 4, 1933, the son of Dr. and Mrs. Dewey Ralph Heetderks. He passed away peacefully of coronavirus on January 15 at Emory/St. Joseph Hospital, Atlanta. He attended Grand Rapids Christian Schools, earned a BA from Wheaton College, and an EdD from Indiana University. John served in the United States Army and Army Reserves attaining the rank of Captain. He was employed by Rose Polytechnic Institute, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; the Board of Regents, University System of Georgia, and Georgia Institute of Technology. He retired from Georgia Tech where he was the Director of the China-US Professional Exchange Program.
John devoted time to service and volunteering and served as both deacon and elder in his church, taught adult Sunday School classes, was a member of the choir, and assisted in Boy Scouts and coaching activities. He volunteered at the Roswell Public Library and was a patient advocate volunteer for eight years at Emory/St. Joseph Hospital in Atlanta. John was a member of Peachtree Presbyterian Church, Atlanta, and the Covenant Sunday School Class. He was proud of the fact that he several times completed the Peachtree Road Race and that he was a "galloneer" blood donor.
As a retiree he took continuing education classes at Emory University, and was an instructor, participant, and board member of PALS, Perimeter Adult Learning and Services. Favorite past times were tennis and games of strategy including bridge, Go, and chess. He took many family and work-related domestic and international travels. Employment responsibilities at Georgia Tech took him many times to the Peoples Republic of China over a period of twenty years where he made lifelong friendships.
John was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather. He was preceded in death by his parents, Dr. Dewey Ralph Heetderks and Lorna (Pattinson) Heetderks, his sister, Charlotte (Heetderks) Lobb; and his two sons, Joel Edward Heetderks and Frederick Dewey Heetderks. John is survived by his beloved wife of 64 years, Patsy (Sprague) Heetderks, whom he married in 1956, and by three living children, son Andrew John Heetderks (Johannah), daughters Amy Kathryn Tully (Dr. Scott), and Emily Jane O'Brien (Scott). John was blessed with eight wonderful grandchildren: Dr. Kathryn Oelsner (Dr. William), Dr. Scott Tully, Jr., and John Tully (Riley), James, Anne, and Benjamin O'Brien; Hannah and Samuel Heetderks; and two great grandchildren: William and Isabelle Oelsner. John is also survived by a brother, Dr. Dewey Ralph Heetderks, Jr., and a number of nieces and nephews.
A private family service will be held. Interment is at Arlington Memorial Park Cemetery in Sandy Springs.
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