Gary L. Heffner

Gary Heffner should be credited with single handedly keeping the rattail cool. He had a mouth like a sailor but a tender heart. He loved his family, his friends, and his wiener…dog. Gary was born in 1959 to Nancy and Raymond Heffner of Suffield, Ohio. Growing up, he spent his time swimming and roughhousing with his two brothers and buying all his freckles at Clarkin’s. He was colorblind and never matched an outfit in his life; his favorite brown pants were green. 

Gary graduated as a precision machinist from Maplewood Career Center where he learned to work hard everyday, to always take the overtime, and to give every coworker a nickname. As he got older, he had a body wave perm and wore short shorts. Gary drove fast, loud cars and he loved a pretty girl. He married Linda (May) in 1980. She loved his red hair and blue eyes and the way he made her laugh. She also liked those short shorts. Gary wrote her poems on their anniversaries and always snored in her ear. He never liked her singing but he always held her hand. They kissed everyday and had a mushy-gushy type of love. 

They have two daughters. Pam is bold and daring like her father and they had the same overly long toes. They loved to argue, and play breadball, a sport Gary invented. Jess (Scott) is gabby and sensitive like her father, and they liked the same terrible movies. They loved to pick on Pam and tell silly stories. Gary was killed by a brain tumor and that really sucks. For 8 ½ years he got up everyday and kept going. He was still The Gary, a husband, a father, and a friend. Gary’s friends and family are too numerous to list but are not forgotten. 

Join us Tuesday, June 16th for a celebration of Gary’s life at the Randolph Senior Center between 5 and 8pm. Please do not send flowers, instead donate to your local EMS or ours in Randolph, 1639 State Route #44, Randolph, Ohio 44265. Because when things are at their worst, they are at their best and we could never thank them enough.