Eugene Albert Heising Jr.

After a brief, courageous battle with cancer, Eugene Albert Heising Jr. passed away peacefully with his family by his side, at home, in the early morning hours of August 22, 2025.

Known to friends and family as “Cork” or “Gene,” he was truly one of a kind. For those who met him in his prime, their first impression may have been: “Wow, he’s a big guy.” At 6’4” and 225 lbs., he certainly was. But what made him extraordinary wasn’t his size—it was his fun-loving spirit, fantastic sense of humor and kind heart.

Gene grew up with his parents, Eugene Sr. and Alice (Navarre) Heising, the youngest of three boys. He shared close bonds with his older brothers, Keith and Ferdinand. Before attending Grand Rapids High School, he spent two formative years at Nazareth Hall, a Catholic military school for boys run by Ursuline nuns. There, he grew in his faith and learned life skills—like how to darn socks and make a bed with perfect hospital corners. Those lessons laid the foundation for the values that defined his life: faith, family, and friendship.

After high school and two years at the University of Toledo, Gene decided life was too short to remain in a classroom. He wanted to get out into the world and start living—and that’s exactly what he did.

On a perfect September day in 1966, beneath clear skies, Gene married his childhood friend and sweetheart, Barbara (Hertzfeld), at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Providence, Ohio—a place central to his life. Together, they transformed an acre of farmland into a loving home where they raised their two children, Kristen (Winegarden) and Brett. Gene oversaw the construction of their house. However, it was the love he shared with Barbara that made it a true home.

A home filled with laughter, Sunday comics after Mass, Ohio State football, Cleveland Guardians baseball, and family game nights of Aggravation, Five Crowns, and Dominoes. Its manicured lawn and seasonal flowers reflected Gene’s pride in his home as well as the love and devotion he and Barbara poured into their family.

In 1968, Gene began a career with Chrysler Corporation. Each day he rose before sunrise and drove down River Road to do his part in helping build reliable, affordable automobiles for working families. A proud member of UAW Local 1435, he retired in 2004 after 36 years of service.

Retirement gave Gene time to refine his woodworking talents. He created treasured furniture pieces for his immediate and extended family. He also found joy in baking—his chocolate chip and oatmeal butterscotch cookies became legendary and were, on occasion, even fought over.

He and Barbara often visited Phoenix, Arizona, where both Kristen, and her husband Scott, as well as Brett and his wife Claudia, settled after college. In his later years, Gene’s greatest joy was being “Grandpa” to Kristen and Scott’s children—Samuel (23), Elizabeth (22), and Benjamin (20). He loved them, as he loved everyone, wholeheartedly and unconditionally.

His love never had to be earned; it was simply given—whether through encouragement in triumph or comfort in heartbreak, it was often sealed with a hug that made the recipient feel invincible.

He understood the fleeting nature of life and embraced each day with gratitude and grace. Even in the face of cancer, his unwavering spirit and faith were evident. His life, a life defined by love, and his legacy of service to others, will be carried forward in the hearts of all who knew him.

Gene’s life will be celebrated during a funeral Mass at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, September 5, 2025, at St. Patrick Church – Providence, (14010 S. River Road, Grand Rapids, Ohio). Visitation will begin in the parish hall at 9 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, his family respectfully requests that donations be made to St. Patrick’s stained-glass window replacement project or Helping Hands of St. Louis, a Catholic Charities ministry that feeds and supports the unhoused, where Gene regularly volunteered.

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” — Revelation 21:4