Donald E. Heimerle

Donald Eric Heimerle, beloved husband, father, brother, and uncle, passed away peacefully at Sunrise at Fountain Square, Lombard, IL, on May 20, 2025. He was 94 years old.
Born on May 18, 1931, in Chicago, IL, Don was the son of Eric Charles and Myrtle Gertrude (née Gullicksen) Heimerle. His four older siblings, Dorothy Mildred Marie (Strohm), Elaine Caryl (Hall), Myron Charles and Donald Francis preceded him in death.
Don attended two elementary schools in Chicago prior to entering Lane Technical High School ("Lane Tech"), where he received four scholarship awards, and was a member of the National Honor Society and Pan American Club. He graduated in 1949 and began to work for the Milwaukee Road railroad as an apprentice electrician. He took additional classes at Washburne Technical High School.
The Korean War interrupted Don's work life. Enlisting in 1951, he served for four years at the Amarillo Air Force Base in Amarillo, TX, where he was a mechanic and teacher and received two awards, the Good Conduct and National Defense Service. He received his Honorable Discharge at the rank of Staff Sergeant in October 1955.
Don became a proud member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 134 in Chicago in 1959. He remained a union member through 1993, when he retired. Throughout his career as an electrician, he took on a wide variety of assignments including Mars Candy, Kraft Foods and the Sears store at Woodfield Mall. Two of his most notable jobs were during the early stages of building the Sears (now Willis) Tower and the United Airlines Headquarters. Never wishing to "sit down" on the job, Don rarely took on the role of foreman, even though he had the experience and seniority to do so.
The love of his life was high school sweetheart Frieda Emma Drefs, daughter of Edward and Emma Drefs, whom he married in Chicago on May 8, 1954. Their union merged sturdy Norwegian, German, and Polish roots, and together, they raised three children, Steven Edward, Becki Sue and Timothy Allan (Richard Lizotte), in homes in Franklin Park and Elmhurst, IL.
Family vacations included an epic journey to Niagara Falls, Boston and elsewhere, as well as extended stays in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois. After Don and Frieda became empty nesters, they travelled to the United Kingdom, Jamaica, Arizona, and South Carolina, to name a few.
As people of faith, Don and Frieda attended Concordia Lutheran in Chicago, Bethlehem Lutheran in Franklin Park, Immanuel Lutheran in Elmhurst and Word of Life in Naperville. As member of Immanuel, Elmhurst for nearly 50 years, Don was active in the congregation as an Elder, member of Board of Christian Education, and adult Bible class teacher. He was especially proud of his time teaching an extended series of Bible classes for many years.
After nearly fifty years living in Elmhurst, Don and Frieda moved to Tabor Hills retirement community in Naperville, IL. Frieda passed away on November 8, 2013, at the age of 81.
In addition to being a skilled electrician, Don was a craftsman, making many improvements to the home in Elmhurst. Taking after his paternal grandfather, he maintained an immaculate lawn; the neighbors would frequently refer to it as the "putting green."
Don was known for his generosity of spirit, always being willing to help anyone in need. On any given Sunday, while attending church services, he could be found helping get the boiler going, fixing a troublesome microphone or solving a wiring issue.
His smile, sense of humor, and welcoming demeanor will be missed by all who knew him. The family expresses their sincere gratitude to the staff of Guardian Hospice, the staff of the memory care unit at Sunrise at Fountain Square (especially Mark, Gladys, and Zairi), and the staff at Tabor Hills. In addition, Don was visited many times by close friends and family, as well as Pastors David Seabaugh and David Brummer of Immanuel, Elmhurst to whom the family expresses their thanks.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Don's memory to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America, 322 Eighth Avenue, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10001 or https://www.alz.org/. Their research into the causes and cure for Alzheimer's Disease, as well as other forms of dementia, are critical and ongoing.