David James Heffner
DAVID JAMES HEFFNER
December 9, 1945 – June 16, 2019
David died on Sunday, June 16, 2019 after a long illness. David is survived by his wife, Mary Ellen Adams, step daughter Madeline Adams Amberg (Cody Amberg), sister Karen Connor (Larry, deceased), brother Michael Heffner (Sandy), nephews, nieces, and cousins. He was pre-deceased in death by parents James Oliver and Viola Cecelia Heffner (nee Otten) and sister Julie Goewert.
David was born and raised in Florissant, MO in a house built by his father and friends. He attended Sacred Heart grade school and Thomas Aquinas high school. His undergraduate degree was from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, IL; he went on to earn a PhD from Saint Louis University. He lived his entire life in the Saint Louis area and retired from a career as an audiologist working for several doctors in private practice and at St. Anthony Hospital.
David was a brilliant intellectual with a doctorate in philosophy from Saint Louis University. He attended nearly every other institution of higher learning in the Saint Louis area, taking classes if not actually earning a degree. His intellect was his defining feature and it was broad ranging. He read several books at a time on topics as varied as string theory (physics), philosophy, and Lee Child novels. He loved gardening and photography and was able to combine the two, creating beautiful volumes of nature photography. He taught himself to extract DNA from bacteria and other substances in the environment. Classical music was a life-long passion and Beethoven symphonies were special loves. Science of every stripe captured his imagination.
David dabbled in woodworking and made a number of interesting pieces of furniture, including a desk with rounded contours, shaping the wood in the bathtub using water and pressure from clamps. David was a gentle giant, a quiet soul that didn’t say much unless you knew him. He loved craft beers, black olives, and dessert. He liked to travel and really enjoyed his trips to Heidelberg, Germany (loved that beer!), the Grand Canyon, California, and Toronto, Canada.
David was well known for his sense of style from his long ponytail to leather pants and colorful shirts and shoes. Shoes were important and he had quite the collection! He was quiet; his clothes were not and garnered attention wherever he went. He was definitely sui generis, unique in the world.
A graveside memorial service will be held on Tuesday, July 2, 2019 at 11:00 a.m.
at Resurrection Cemetery, 6901 MacKenzie Road, Saint Louis, MO 63123.
Family and friends will meet at the Resurrection Cemetery
administration building just inside the main entrance. Interment will be private.
David was a wonderful person and brother-in-law. He was very intelligent and we had many delightful conversations on diverse topics. I was especially admiring of his photography; he had a superb eye for composition and an equally creative sense in artistic exposition of the pictures he took. He gave generously of his audiology knowledge to our family. My wife Renée and I valued his friendship and will miss him. Our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and most of all to my dear sister Mary Ellen on his much too soon passing.
All that was said in the obituary was very true and he was so much more as well. When my husband died David was the one who consoled me over and over again. He was a kind man who always wished he could have been smarter. What a smarter David would look like I couldn’t say because I thought him a genius. It is my privilege to be his loving sister and to have had him in my life for as long as I did.
I met David many years ago in the late 80’s, and we became very close. Later, in the mid 90’s we helped each other get through some troubling times.
David was a kind, caring, gentle giant. I was in awe of his intellect!
I’m glad he found so much happiness in his later years.
I am sorry to learn of David’s death. I knew David and his brother Michael and his sisters Karen and Julie when I was growing up and they are a great family. My condolences.
Carl Kohnen
I’ll remember how much we shared in our discussions about photography, gardening, and philosophy. A number of outings and travel will also remain special moments. And to see the happy years Mary Ellen and David had together deepened over the years – – special for sure. A deep bond joined us over the years. l’ll miss him