John Francis Heidlage

John Francis Heidlage (Francis to his family and friends), 75, of Durham North Carolina and Columbia, died Friday June 20, 2025 at Croasdiale Village nursing facility in Durham, following a long struggle with Parkinson's disease.

Francis was born on October 2, 1949 in Kansas City, Missouri, and moved to Columbia with his parents in 1957. He attended Sacred Heart School in Columbia and graduated from University High School in 1967. In 1979 he earned his Ph. D. in physiology at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He accepted a post-doc at Duke University, Durham NC, and lived and worked there the rest of his life, excepting routine visits to Columbia for family and friends. In his time at Duke he worked on cardiac electrophysiology.

Francis had many active interests; he was an ardent spelunker, a gun collector and sharpshooter at indoor and outdoor ranges, a student and then teacher of martial arts; he achieved a fourth-degree black belt in karate. He was a life member of the NRA.

While taking classes in karate in the late 1980s, he met his eventual long-time companion Joan and in 2000 they moved in together in a home near the Duke campus. They eventually married in 2015.

Francis is survived by his wife Joan Walsh, his brother Robert G. Heidlage of Columbia (Holly), two nephews Michael G. Heidlage (Maria) of Santa Fe, NM and David T. Heidlage (Mary) of Boonville, MO, and two grand-nieces, Alissa M. Heidlage and Erica R. Heidlage also of Santa Fe, NM. Francis was predeceased by his parents Walter and Sarah Heidlage.

Burial is by private graveside service at Bluestem Cemetery in Cedar Grove, North Carolina.