John Wayne Heckert

John Wayne Heckert, 64, of Bettendorf, died at Genesis West in the loving arms of his wife after a losing battle with late-detected inoperable pancreatic cancer on Sunday, April 20, 2008.
John Wayne Heckert was born December 7, 1943, in Rock Island, Illinois, the only child of Maxwell Wayne Heckert and Genevieve Lundberg Heckert. This Pearl Harbor baby attended Rock Island Schools, graduated from Rock Island High at age 17 and attended Iowa State University for more than eleven years, majoring in electrical and later biomedical engineering.
As a college student, John served as an intern at Deere and Company. After receiving a master's degree from Iowa State University in 1973, he began his electrical engineering career at John Deere Harvester Works, East Moline, where he worked most of his 37 years and two-month career, as senior engineer where he specializing in electrical utilities, electrical control, paint systems, process control, AutoCAD, robotics and sophisticated computer programs and systems. John's expertise was highly regarded and he was sought out by Deere's electrical engineering community of practice.
John married Connie Delp on June 20, 1970, in Ames, Iowa. In 1982-1983, the couple hosted Swedish exchange student Pia Helene Welander who attended Davenport West High School. Two years later, they hosted Pia's brother, Magnus, a kicker on the State Championship Football team and a soccer player, bringing much joy to John by playing in every game that he attended. Their daughters are Stephanie, a junior at Bettendorf High School, and Samantha (Sam), a freshman, both award-winning dance students studying vocal music, flute and piano. The couple celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary by traveling to China to adopt Sam. John loved watching his daughters perform in dance competitions and vocal concerts. He took great pride in his daughter's achievements, attending every performance that the girls were in.
John was a 44-year member of I.E.E.E., a professional society; a Life Member of the Iowa State University Alumni Association; The Outing Club; Friends of Davenport Public Library and Bettendorf Public Library; and the Putnam Museum. He was a volunteer treasurer for Neil Armstrong PTA and Bettendorf High School Goldusters Dance and Pom Team Parent Group; and a Bulldog Athletic Booster. He participated as a BHS Band parent "roadie" for competitions. He was an active member of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Davenport where he was a past Memorial Committee member, an assisting minister and communion attendant. John was a lifelong Chicago Cubs and Iowa State Cyclones fan.
John is survived by his wife and two daughters, still at home, and a wide circle of friends. Memorials may be made to St. Paul Lutheran Church Memorial Garden.
The family would like to express their gratitude to John's colleagues at John Deere, staff at Genesis West Oncology Unit and United Healthcare, Dr. Bradley Sachs and staff at Hematology Oncology Associates of the Quad Cities, Dr. Hisakazu Hoshi at Iowa University Hospitals, family and friends at Bettendorf Schools, St. Paul Lutheran Church, and all who are in our "village" at BHS, Studio A Dance Company, BHS Show Choir and Band, Goldusters, our neighbors and friends.
There will be gathering of friends at Weerts Funeral Home, Kimberly at Jersey Ridge, Davenport, Tuesday, April 22, 2008, from 4 to 7 p.m. A Memorial Service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 23, at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Davenport, with a later committal in Memorial Garden at the church.
Online condolences may be expressed to John's family by visiting his obituary at www.WeertsFH.com.