William (Bill) Frederick Heck, 89, of Glendale, passed away peacefully on January 10, 2019. He was born in Bayshore, New York June 20, 1929. He grew up in New York and attended Islip High School. He was an athlete in basketball, soccer, and track, where he was the county champion pole vaulter. They traveled by train to compete with other schools.
Bill was a proud Veteran and Patriot who served his country honorably during the Korean War and he received the Korean Service and United Nations Medals. Bill started his Navy service completing basic training at Great Lakes Naval Training Center in Illinois. Bill was stationed at Litchfield Naval Air Facility in Arizona where he operated a 26-ton engine in the Military Fire Service. Bill also completed a tour of duty in Japan. Throughout his term of service, he also received a Good Conduct Medal.
While in Litchfield Park, Arizona he met his sweetheart Margie Demarest at an ice cream parlor in Phoenix. They were married in 1951 and spent the next 53 years together until her passing in 2004. After starting a family and finishing his Bachelor’s degree in Phoenix, he relocated them to New York the summer of 1957. He started his teaching career at William Floyd High School. He worked in New York for several years and relocated back to Arizona the summer of 1960. They bought a home in Scottsdale and raised their three children Cynthia, Tom, and Susan. He obtained his Master’s Degree in Education, specialized in industrial arts but also taught other subjects for 33 years.
He and Margie traveled in the states and overseas once they retired. He loved to putter and scrap before it was fashionable. He lovingly cared for Margie when she became ill. He loved engaging and talking to people and was always happy to see you when you visited.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Frederick and Edna Heck, his wife Margie Heck, and his twin brother Richard Heck. He is survived by his sister, Janet Noller, children: Cynthia (Marvin) Coffey, Tom (Arlene) Heck, and Susan (Eric) Barnes. Grandchildren: Travis Coffey, Brittney Jacklin (Heck), Danielle Jordan (Coffey), Candace Wales (Heck), Geoffrey Barnes, and Sarah Barnes. Great Grandchildren: Conor, Cade, Morgan, Kingston, Zoe, Harper, and Braxton
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