Gary Heil

1953 - 2020

"...but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light" ~Ephesians 5:8 A brave and fierce soldier, Gary fought the good fight. Though he lost his long, courageous battle against heart disease and subsequent liver failure, he now reaps the greatest victory of all resting in the arms of angels...far away from any sickness, pain, or suffering. He was born on August 20, 1953, the second son of Ray and Marian Heil. As a lifelong resident of Longmont, one can only imagine the changes he witnessed during his lifetime in the community he loved and called home! He was a true all American boy...had fond memories spending time at his grandparents farm, participated in many years of boy scouts, played baseball and mowed lawns in his youth; starred in basketball at the high school level, spent after school hours and summers working in his father's home improvement business and went on to earn a degree in Mechanical Drafting. The construction business ran through his blood, as it did his father before him. From the time he was a young lad, excelling and working hard was instilled within him. He worked various phases and different trades of the building industry gathering a wealth of knowledge. He spent the majority of his career as a master of the art of being an electrician. He brought light and life to hundreds of homes, countless custom builds, high-end estates and mountain retreats. Gary was well respected and highly sought after in his field, regarded as one of "the good ol' boys" because of his expertise and the superior quality of his workmanship. He freely shared what he knew with his apprentices and other construction workers, many of whom went on to also have successful careers of their own. In May of 1977, he married Jane Precht. Along with his father and the help of many family members, Gary built a home for his new bride where together they raised their children through their formative years. First and foremost, Gary was a family man. He loved his family unconditionally. They spent every free moment camping, fishing, hiking, four-wheeling, "surviving" in the wild, exploring on road trips and loving life. These were the best of times. Gary was a granite rock, a best friend, a loving son, husband and father, trusted brother, favorite uncle, cousin, nephew. If anyone ever needed anything, he would be there in a hurry. He made this world a better place and will be sorely missed. He was preceded in death by his parents, fondly known as Mimi and Pa, along with his other Mom and Dad, Duane and Ilene Precht. He is survived by his wife, Jane; his favorite son, Brent and his favorite daughter, Krista; his brother Stephen Heil and his wife Grace; his adopted siblings: Bill Precht, Marie and Gary Hoerner; Tom and Kathy Precht, Dennis and Debby Precht, and Bob Harper; his Uncle Don Heil, his Aunt Joan Bailey and his Aunt Betty Schlagel; his nieces, nephews and numerous cousins, many friends and his four-legged grandson, "Rocky" ~ all of whom he deeply loved and cared a great deal about. To honor him, a memorial prayer service and celebration of life will be held 11:00 am July 3, 2020, at Shupe Homestead, off Hygiene Road at 11931 N. 61st Street, Longmont, CO 80503. Contributions can be made to Longmont Meals on Wheels, H.O.P.E Homeless Outreach or St. John's Food Bank in care of Howe Mortuary who has been entrusted with cremation services. A special shout of thanks goes out to Accent Care Hospice Services, especially to Nicole and her team.