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John J. Heisler III

John Heisler Obituary

HEISLER, JOHN J., III

On September 8, 2004, of Silver Spring, MD. Loving son of John J. and Catherine R. Heisler; nephew of Ronald and Rita Saraceni; cousin of Ron and Joy. Memorial Mass will be held Saturday, September 11, 2004, at 11 a.m. at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, 1800 Seton Dr., Crofton, MD. Interment private. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Sidney Kimmel Foundation, 401 N. Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21231-2410. Arrangements by BEALL FUNERAL HOME, Bowie, MD.

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Published by The Washington Post on Sep. 10, 2004.

Memories and Condolences
for John Heisler

Sponsored by John's friends at EPA.

20 Entries

Edward VanSickle Jr

November 27, 2024

I still remember a very young Johnny Heisler from the trailer park where I grew up in Anne Arundel County Maryland. His mom Cathy liked me enough to invite me over to dinner on a few occasions. She liked Johnny having a playmate. We played mostly with Matchbox cars.
The Heislers stayed in the mobile home when racing season came around at Pimlico, Laurel and Bowie.
I have very fond memories of the Heisler family even though I lost contact with them all over fifty years ago. Rest in Peace dear friend. Pals.

Susan Lenk

November 10, 2024

John and I shared our graduate years in Gene Small´s lab. Memorable years that I still treasure. John and Gene along with our friend John Corliss are gone. He taught me so much that I carry with me to this day. Science is fun and John even more fun. I am lucky to have known him.

Loren and Viki Coen

October 19, 2004

Remembrances of John

Its hard to know where to begin having know John since the early 1980s when he was still an undergraduate at the University of Maryland, College Park in Zoology and I was his Teaching Assistant in Protozoology. He developed a love of that subject on went on to do graduate work in the same lab with Dr. Gene Small. I completed my graduate degree and moved first to Mobile, Alabama and then to Charleston, South Carolina. Most of my fondest memories outlined below come from the period mostly between 1981 to 1987, which also included a stint together as roommates. I would like to provide all of you with some brief vignettes in chronological order. I know that all of you who knew John will appreciate these and I hope laugh about them. I want to remember John in happier times, in some regards he was the brother I never had (we were both only-children) so here goes:

When John and I lived together (by the way his first foray living away from home in 1986-87), his mother Cathy used to cook for him (mostly me as you will see), she would come over and even leave food in frig. or freezer so he would be well provided for. I usually ate these wonderful meals, as John liked to go out and get different and unusual take-out food or groceries, but to me they were manna from heaven. She also came over to clean and for a while still did his laundry.

By the way John would bring back gnocchi or baked goods from Philly and I was hooked on these delicacies. His mother cooked for us whenever we came over to their house in Laurel. She also provided a number of my currently favorite recipes from crab dip to crab spaghetti sauce and I encourage all of you to get these from her. His grand-parent’s were also a trip. I am glad I got to meet Rita and of course Joy.

I taught the Bay course at U. MD for Dr. Small for probably 3-4 years and John would always volunteer to go to enjoy the CBL vessel outings, tell the non-science undergrads about the natural history of the Bay and of course to scout interesting and attractive coeds. Many of John’s school friends and acquaintances connected with him from these Saturday excursions to CBL and the Maritime Museum on Solomons Island, named the Calvert Marine Museum. It was hard after 20 or 30 trips to often be enthused but John always was. He was passionate about natural history, marine science and he always enjoyed book shopping on these subjects, often arriving home to show me his new purchases. We all know how much of a pack rat John was, not of junk, but of neat purchases (treasures for him).

One time, John was sick at home and so bored that he rented a number of videos on a new Betamax machine I had just gotten for our apartment; they turned out to be “women in prison” movies, he even suggested we invite over our graduate student buddies and have a dedicated film festival. I believe he made his dad return them.

I think I introduced John to thai food at the Thai Room on Connecticut Ave. At that time Thai food was not as popular as it is today, after that and throughout my latter visits with John from 1987 on he always had wonderful places to try in MD, D.C. or VA. Meanwhile he instilled in me a love for shopping (often just for fun), biking, growing herbs and other green things, hiking, visiting Ellicott City looking for antiques, birding, crafts, furniture, electronics, and great breakfasts such as our regular Sunday visits to the Parkway Deli (we called it the Grubb Deli on Grubb Rd.) where he would always tell me I was “going to hell” for eating bacon! We also used to visit Georgetown a lot.

He always liked to drive (he and no one else) and we would go to places like Chadds Ford, PA for the day to see the Brandywine River Museum or Longwood Gardens. I hope to revisit these soon with my wife Viki. If it were not for John, I probably would have worked all of the time in graduate school.

When I went for an interview at the Sea Lab in 1987, John gave me a lift to the airport, on the way home he had an accident and nearly totaled his car. He shrugged it off when I returned (that day due to snow and airport closures) and said oh well.

John was always one to meet someone on one of his or our shopping forays. He would strategize then how to generate another chance encounter for a date or meeting. He would put in an equal amount of energy into purchasing a new pair of shoes or a jacket, one time he came home with an Australian Cattle coat he had agonized over buying, I wonder if he wore it much later as he they items went out of favor often, sometimes very quickly.

I remember kayaking during one of my more recent visits for an EPA panel, John rented another kayak and we went down to the eastern shore of MD for a day of paddling. Wonderful fun, but of course John teased me the entire time as I had a hard time keeping-up as it was my first time in a single.

One of the last times I saw John in good health we went to eat at Oodles Noodles, looked at shotguns and fly fishing tackle, he loved talking about traveling and about boats and their use (or lack of use). The last time John was here in Charleston we went fishing and one of the things that he caught was an oyster shell, we gave him a hard time.

I always wanted to see Cathy and John when I went to visit John over the years since leaving MD in 1987, but he often would say nope, but as we all know although he always gave them a hard time, John loved them dearly, but he sure teased them and if you were unaccustomed to seeing that it could be a bit strange or embarrassing. However, once in the know you realized it was all in jest (it was his sense of humor).

I know that he really wanted them to have all of best things in life, those that they had unselfishly given him over the years. Recently he told me in July he wanted them to have a good car, no GM of course. This was something he always referred to no more GM cars.

I still do many things that he got me to do from our time together, including using clothespins for my shirts with a hanger, the funny thing is that my wife Viki told him this on one visit to Charleston. What did John say, that’s stupid I stopped doing that years ago!

We all know how easily John expressed his opinions on every subject, always of course quite liberally and freely were they put forth. He always had a comment or remark (often he was the smart aleck in the crowd), either to friends or even strangers. We will all miss those smart aleck comments. The dictionary defines this as a “person regarded as obnoxiously self-assertive, an impudent person” but somehow we all mostly laughed.

I am so glad that John and the Heisler’s had so many good people from the EPA up there to be his and their friends in recent years through thick and thin, during some very tough times. I hope that we can all fill the gap left by John’s loss. The Heisler’s were and are like my parents, especially since mine departed this earth. I loved John like a brother and I will deeply, deeply miss him. However, I will treasure all of the memories, those good times when he had his health and strength, not during the latter years of his life. Stop laughing at us John.

Alan Lewitus

October 13, 2004

John and I crossed paths at several meetings on the harmful algal bloom topic. He was one of those people with a good soul – you knew it right away. He was comfortable to be around, fun to talk with, made you feel good. He was also a force in the harmful algal bloom research community. He was involved in some very controversial areas, particularly the Pfiesteria issue. I can think of no one involved with this issue that displayed more professionalism or integrity than John Heisler. He is the epitome of someone who followed his convictions, and will always remain an inspiration to me.

Joy Douglas

October 7, 2004

Johnny and I had connected spirits. We were so much alike even though we took different paths in our lives. He was always there for me, as I for him. We spent many holidays together, laughing with our sarcastic type of humor. We took many hiking trips together. My heart is sad, but his spirit lives in me. Thank all of you for being there for our family. It is great to finally have faces to the stories Johnny told.

Traci

October 4, 2004

The Scientist

Come up to meet you,

Tell you I'm sorry,

You don't know how lovely you are.

I had to find you,

Tell you I need you,

Tell you I set you apart.

Tell me your secrets,

And ask me your questions,

Oh, let's go back to the start.

Runnin' in circles,

Comin' up tails,

Its only science apart.

Nobody said it was easy,

It's such a shame for us to part.

Nobody said it was easy,

No one ever said it would be this hard.

Oh, take me back to the start.

I was just guessing,

At numbers and figures,

Pulling the puzzles apart.

Questions of science,

Science and progress,

Do not speak as loud as my heart.

Tell me you love me,

Come back and haunt me,

Oh, when I rush to the start.

Runnin' in circles,

Chasin' tails,

Comin' back as we are.

Nobody said it was easy,

Oh, it's such a shame for us to part.

Nobody said it was easy,

No one ever said it would be so hard.

I'm goin' back to the start.

This song is by coldplay, it is called the scientist off the album A Rush of Blood to the Head...

I listen to this song and think of him, my cousin and godfather johnny.."I am living strong for you, and i miss you more than words could ever say!"

Stephanie Vance

September 30, 2004

My husband Tim and I knew John for too short a time, but always enjoyed his curmudgeonly exterior and kind heart. My favorite memories are of the times when John took all of us to the races at Pimlico: we placed terrible bets, hung out drinking Bloody Mary’s in the clubhouse and generally enjoyed the hospitality of John and his family. John even took me with him one time to award one of the prizes to the winner of one of the races. I tried not to embarrass him (John, not the horse). We have so many wonderful memories that will stay with us, from dinners out to days at the track to a wonderful Christmas dinner with the entire Heisler family. John made his way in the world with a confidence and grace that we will never forget.

Marianne (Myrn) Krall Henderson

September 30, 2004

I am a friend and student of John's from University of Maryland. I was a student of Genie Clark's but I think I spent more time in the protozoology suite than I did in my lab. I had lots of fun joking around with John. It was one of my personal missions to ace Gene Small's class when I took it and John would always try to come up with a zinger to trick me on the practicals. But, true to his wonderful nature, he also let me into the lab late at night to study when it was the only time it fit in my schedule! He was a kind and dear man and even though I have not seen him for years, he holds a special place in my heart.

I can also remember many a conversation about crazy questions from students that we had as teaching assistants or just kicking back in the TA suites chatting about anything other than our research (I think it is called procrastination!! - at least for me).

I saw an earier comment on this page about finding women for him and I can say that he asked that question of me too - I think he received a Barbie as a gift at the Zoology holiday party that year.

John was a class act and will forever be remembered for his dry sense of humor and kind spirit. Marianne (Myrn Krall) Henderson

John laughing at Suzanne turning 50

September 23, 2004

John at work

September 23, 2004

Ifey Davis

September 16, 2004

John was very gentle in his dealings with people. I had the opportunity to work with him on a Workgroup. He was very courteous and friendly. The best times were at lunch breaks when we shared our other passions and I could tell he lived his life to the fullest. I will miss those hugs in the hallway. Every time he passed by my cubicle, we'd talk and he really was a very optimistic person. I cherish knowing him. Ifey.

Debbi Hart

September 14, 2004

Memories of John

A field trip for the “Natural History of the Chesapeake Bay” course (John was the teaching assistant) that included shucking oysters on the deck of the Orion off Solomon’s.

Another field trip to Point Lookout that concluded with a serious water gun battle using a bilge pump and water ballet afterwards.

A protozoology lab exam set up by John with an extra credit question that involved identifying the specimen under the microscope– a miniaturized photo of the professor, Dr. Gene Small.

My skepticism of John’s offer to teach me how to snorkel in Bermuda when I knew he didn’t know how to swim– and then he taught me.

John constantly inquiring if I’d met any eligible women for him and if I had, did they have washboard abs.

John’s reaction when I used to call the UNDS project he worked on the “undies“ project.

John shouting “Dig in!” as we tried to kayak cross the main channel of Annapolis Harbor amidst heavy boat traffic.

Helping John move into his new house and feasting on manicotti from the platters his mom provided.

John talking me into applying for a position at EPA and putting in a good word for me.

The thrill I felt for John when Pfeisteria became such a big issue and he was able to apply his protozoology background to the task– there was no better person for the job.

John calling me just to brag about where he was going for a conference– Spain, the Bahamas, and the Phillippines to name a few places.

Plotting with John the best ways to get a GS-14 promotion.

Getting off the shuttle bus at the Fairchild Building to meet John for lunch and walking past him thinking he was some “professorial guy” in a tweed jacket. John remained completely silent, let me walk past, then laughed “Ya didn’t recognize me, did ya?!”

John teaching my husband to practice casting with his fly rod in the swimming pool parking lot across the street, the same parking lot where Mike would later teach Nicole to practice her first casts.

A trip to Kent Narrows with John and my husband for crab cakes with the later bonus of “exposure” to some of the local night life.

Stopping off at John’s house with Jean Mack last summer since he wasn’t feeling up to going out for dinner. John had just gotten a new body-conforming mattress & encouraged us to try it out. As Jean and I lay there, John commented “Hey, this is the first time I’ve had two women in my bed.”

Hearing one of John’s dreams– going to a Greek island and riding down to the beach on a burro.

Talking to John about people we knew and what motivated them.

Talking with John in his hospital room about his brain surgery, what he remembered and what he couldn’t and both of us being completely amazed over his quick recovery.

The sound of victory in John’s voice after the call to the New Orleans carcinoid cancer specialist, “I knew they couldn’t do anything for me!” when I was expecting defeat. John later commented “I’m going to die of cancer, but I might be 70.”

My sense of awe over the number of friends John had and when I mentioned it to him, his amazement too. He then quickly offered, “It would be the same for you.”

John chastising me a few weeks ago– “Would you quit calling me so much! I’m not a girl– I don’t need to talk all the time!” and being able to say comfortably, like I would have said at virtually any other point in our 20- year plus friendship “OK, don’t be such a jerk!” And both of us were completetely at ease.

Macara Lousberg

September 14, 2004

I knew John from working with him at EPA, and we spent many lunches over the past number of years talking about birding, critiquing the latest Randy Wayne White book about Doc Ford's ongoing adventures, gossiping, and discussing life in general. I will miss his simultaneously reflective and sarcastic perspective on many things. And on a related note, I want to thank John's parents and those of his friends that spoke at his memorial service for giving me the gift of getting to know John a bit better. The stories and reflections shared that day made John feel very alive to me.

Barry Burgan

September 14, 2004

I worked with John at EPA. We both love boats and fishing. He has the same outboard motor as I do and a similar boat. We often shared tips on where to fish and maintenance and storage methods. Mostly we both love being on the water, fishing is an excuse to be there. I speak of John in the present tense because when I close my eyes I see him waving while grasping the starboard rail! But, I’ll miss our conversations.

Suzanne Schwartz

September 14, 2004

John was a rare combination of intelligence, know-how, curiosity, stubbornness, helpfulness, gruffness, and caring. I am glad to have known him, and to have many wonderful (mostly funny) John stories that I will never forget.

Mike Hart

September 14, 2004

There's an adage that says 'if you catch a man a fish, he'll have dinner tonight but if you teach a man to fish, he'll have dinner every night'. Among the many things of living well in quiet dignity, John taught me to fish with a fly rod. I will pass on his lessons to my children. He lives in what we remember and what we do.

My thanks and condolences to his parents and family.

Jean Mack

September 13, 2004

I was a student in a Protozoology course 20 years ago at UMD. John was the teaching assistant in that course. His dry, sarcastic sense of humor had a tension-breaking effect at the difficult lab practicals. He loved his work and I give him credit for taking the time to help me study before one of the exams, as I was not the best test taker. He knew I could do it when I did not. If I did not thank him then, I am now.

Jack Bowles

September 13, 2004

I had the honor of knowing John Heisler. He will live on in my memory and my actions.

Toby Millman

September 9, 2004

I never met John, but I feel that I knew him through my wife Jessica's wonderful stories about him over the years. John was an inspiration to Jessica and I know he must have been to many others. I am glad that he touched Jessica's life in such a positive way. My condolences go out to John's family and to those who loved him.

Jessica Cogan

September 9, 2004

A few years ago, John and I trained and competed in the Dogwood 500 - a rather brutal race through the George Washington National Forest. Climbing the last peak, I was exhausted and close to tears but John kept my mind occupied by telling funny stories about past girlfriends and fishing trips with Brian. I will miss him but will always treasure my memories.

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