Update/featured article AJC: NWA Capt. Keith D. Heefner

[PCN DEATH Notice Mgr]

Update/featured article AJC: The AJC featured a very nice article
this weekend on Capt. Heefner. The article may be viewed at
http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/keith-heefner-76-top-683410.html

Thank you,
~ Carol Faulkner, PCN death notice communicator
de...@pilotcommunication.net
============================================
Keith Heefner, 76: Top-notch aviator for Air Force, Northwest
By J.E. Geshwiler For the AJC

As early as his mid-teens, Keith Heefner realized he couldn't just
daydream about becoming a pilot; he would have to invest some sweat.
So he took a job at an airfield outside his hometown of Cedar Rapids,
Iowa, pumping aviation gas and washing down planes.

His humble toil paid off. He got the instruction he had aimed for.
"I'm certain Dad got his pilot's license before he got his driver's
license," said his son, Scott Heefner of Woodbridge, Va. "Later on,
when he took his first passenger up for a ride, it was his high school
girlfriend -- who later became our mother."

At 22, he joined the Air Force and advanced quickly to pilot a KC-37
tanker aircraft. His navigator, Bob Smith of Tucker, said he was
immediately impressed with Mr. Heefner's professionalism.

"Refueling a B-47 bomber in mid-air is a tricky procedure," he said,
"but Keith carried it off again and again, always flying straight and
level."

He maintained his steady hand at the controls as a commercial airline
pilot, first for Southern Airways, then Republic, and finally
Northwest.

"Keith was a top-notch aviator, very precise," said Jerry Weibel, a
fellow Northwest pilot. "He flew by the book, and he trained other
pilots by the book, too."

Mr. Heefner logged hundreds of thousands of miles at the controls of
planes that ranged from the old reliable DC-3 to the wide-bodied
DC-10, retiring in 1994 at the rank of captain.

A fellow pilot, Claude Allen of Jasper, said that when he was one of
the speakers at a Northwest Airlines retirement "roast" for Mr.
Heefner, he simply asked, "How can you roast someone who's squeaky
clean?"

Keith Dean Heefner, 76, of Fayatteville, died Oct. 8 of complications
of cancer at Southwest Christian Care. A memorial service will be at
11 a.m. Saturday at Southwest Christian Church in College Park.
Parrott Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Although flying was a lifelong passion, Mr. Heefner was just as
industrious off the job.

"It seemed like every time we turned our backs, Dad would start a new
project," his son said. "Dad built the family's vacation house at Lake
Burton, a boathouse, even a one-car trolley that ran on a track 100
yards up a steep hill from the lake to our house.

"When I was a boy, Dad constructed one of the first dune buggies ever
seen in the Atlanta area," his son said. "And for years, he would
build all kinds of model airplanes, some of which he would pilot by
radio control. He also built himself a kayak and a banjo and took
lessons so he could learn to play bluegrass."

Mr. Heefner was a dependable repairman, too. Mr. Allen recalled that
when the two of them were still Fayetteville neighbors he could always
count on Mr. Heefner to fix appliances that went on the fritz.

He was also a friend to all forms of wildlife, said his daughter,
Betsy Thoms of Fayetteville. One of the favorite causes was Operation
Migration, a New York-based organization dedicated to guiding
endangered whooping cranes on their north-south migratory route. He
didn't accompany the migrating cranes himself, but he kept in touch
via ham radio with ultra-light aircraft pilots who did and gave them
up-to-date weather reports.

Frequently, he took injured wild animals into his home or to a
veterinary clinic until they were well enough to be set free. One of
them, a red-tailed hawk the family named Uno, hung around Mrs. Thoms'
backyard for months afterward. "The hawk had been caught in a trap and
had to have one leg amputated, but Dad not only taught it to balance
on one leg, he also taught it to hunt with one leg," Mrs. Thoms said.

"Dad even paid a vet $75 to care for a timber rattlesnake he had
found," she added.

"Wild or otherwise, animals seemed to gravitate to Keith," said his
longtime friend, Mr. Smith. "They weren't afraid of him, and he wasn't
afraid of them."

Survivors also include his wife, Beverly Heefner; a sister, Prudence
Query of Brainerd, Minn.; a brother, Cary Heefner of Annapolis, Md.,
and five grandchildren.


----- Original Message -----
From: PCN Sent: Tuesday, October 12, 2010 9:55 PM
Subject: PCN Death of retired NWA pilot Capt. Keith D. Heefner, age 76

Notification of the passing of retired Southern Airways/NWA pilot
Capt. Keith Heefner, age 76.
Survived by his wife Beverly, personal condolences may be sent to
their listed residence at
839 Sandy Creek Road , Fayetteville, GA 30214-3607 ... (770)
461-8778

To view/sign the online guestbook please visit the funeral home
website at http://www.parrottfuneralhome.com/

Thank you,
~ Carol Faulkner, PCN death notice communicator
de...@pilotcommunication.net
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Keith Heefner, 1934~2010
Born: May 06, 1934
Died: October 08, 2010
Services: 11 o'clock Saturday, October 16, 2010 at Southwest Christian
Church.
Visitation: The family will receive friends one hour prior to the
service at the church.

Keith Dean Heefner, 76, Fayetteville, GA, beloved husband of Beverly
Brighton Heefner for 55 years, went home to be with our Lord October
8, 2010. A memorial service to remember his life and celebrate that
homecoming will be held October 16, 2010 at 11:00 AM at Southwest
Christian Church, East Point, Dr. James Donovan and Reverend Paul
Carrier, officiating. Visitation is at 10:00 AM. Keith was born May 6,
1934 in Cedar Rapids, IA. He graduated from Natick High School in
Natick, MA and attended college at Northeastern and Iowa State prior
to joining the Air Force Cadets. He was preceded in death by his
parents, Melvin Roy and Eva McCalley Heefner. Keith was a life long
pilot, obtaining his solo license at age 16 and fulfilling his dream
as a commercial airline pilot starting with Southern Airways, retiring
as a Captain with Northwest Airlines in 1994. Prior to his airline
career, he served his country as a First Lieutenant and at age 22, as
Aircraft Commander of a KC-97 in the 306th Air Refueling Squadron of
the Strategic Air Command. After thousands of flights over six
decades, Keith’s final flight was the fall of 2008 when he flew his
personal aircraft to Colorado to its new owner. Keith served his
community and his church over the years as a Fayette County Planning
Commissioner, Southwest Christian Church deacon, and Lakeshore High
School Booster Club President to list just a few. Keith’s greatest
pleasure however, was spending time with his loving family, whether it
be boating or attending “Fly –Away” church at beautiful Lake Burton,
cooking BBQ, biscuits or waffles, traveling, or just participating in
children’s or grandchildren’s activities. Keith, who had a tremendous
love for God’s creation and His animals, was also an avid supporter of
Operation Migration, an organization dedicated to reintroduce Whooping
cranes into a natural migratory route using ultra-light aircraft. In
addition to his wife, Keith is survived by his sister, Prudence, and
Richard Query, Brainerd, MN, brother, Cary, and Kathleen Heefner,
Annapolis, MD, son, Scott, and Sandra Heefner, Woodbridge, VA,
daughter, Elizabeth (Betsy), and Tim Thoms, Fayetteville, GA,
grandchildren, Kathleen Brighton Heefner, Daniel Scott Heefner,
Whitney Glenn Heefner, Chelsea Brighton Thoms, and Dean Allen Thoms.
Donations may be made to Southwest Christian Care, 7225 Lester Road,
Union City, GA 30291, or to Operation Migration, 1623 Military Rd.,
PMB# 639, Niagara Falls, NY 14304-1745, or operationmigration.org.
Flowers may be sent to Parrott Funeral Home, which is handling the
memorial service, 8355 Senoia Road, Fairburn, GA 30213