RALPH HEIDENREICH
Died July 31, 2009
Ralph H. Heidenreich, 84, of 100 N. Harding Drive, Goldsboro, passed away peacefully on July 31, 2009, at Kitty Askins Hospice Center of Goldsboro.
Funeral services with Masonic rites and military honors will be held Monday at 2 p.m. at S.G. Wilkerson and Sons Funeral Chapel in Greenville. Burial will follow in Pinewood Memorial Park.
He was a wonderful and supportive husband, father, "papa" and friend.
A native of Pittsburgh, Pa., Mr. Heidenreich enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps at a young age and served in the First Marine Division. He began his military service in Cherry Point and was sent to Greenville, where he met the love of his life, Evelyn Jones. After training, he was shipped to Pearl Harbor and shortly thereafter became one of the defenders of Midway Island. He served for 17 years as commander of the Greenville National Guard and was transferred to the Army Reserve. He was extremely proud of his 42 years, 7 months and 26 days of service, evidenced by the Marine Corps ball cap he always sported. After retirement, he was instrumental in coordinating annual re-unions of his unit, VMSB 343 - Gregory's Guerillas.
Mr. Heidenreich was also associated with the North Carolina High School Athletic Association for 57 years, serving as a football and basketball official and later as the booking agent for the Northeast Basketball Officials Association. He was a Mason, a Shriner and a multiple-year governor of the Greenville Moose Lodge. He was an avid and enthusiastic cook for these groups' fundraisers.
He was preceded in death by his parents, James Emil and Mathilda Wippenbeck Heidenreich, and a brother, James George Heidenreich, all of Pittsburgh.
Mr. Heidenreich is survived by his loving wife, Evelyn Jones Heidenreich; daughters, Ellen Heidenreich of Greenville, Jan Fly and husband, Ron, of Goldsboro; son, Jim Heidenreich and wife, Jo, of Goldsboro; grandsons, Jimmy Heidenreich of Char-lotte, Josh Heidenreich of Wilmington and Matt Lamm of Chapel Hill; sister, Rose-marie Slemenda and husband, John, of Pittsburgh.
The family will receive friends from 3 until 5 p.m. today at Wilkerson Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, the Heidenreich family requests memorial gifts be directed to the Kitty Askins Hospice Center, 107 Handley Park Court, Goldsboro, N.C. 27534. The family greatly appreciates their compassionate care.
Online condolences may be posted at www.wilkerson funeralhome.com.
(Pd)
Published in Obituaries on August 2, 2009 10:19 AM