John Richard Heer Sr

John Richard Heer, Sr. Obituary

John Richard Heer, Sr. went to be with the Lord on September 13, 2021.  He passed away peacefully in Oro Valley, Arizona, after a brief illness.  The sixth child of Mary Heater Heer and Fred Heer, he was born on September 3, 1936, in Independence, Missouri.

After graduating from William Chrisman High School in Independence, John fell in love with Peggy Sue Lawrence and was married to her for more than 62 years.  Following high school, John developed skills in automotive repair and maintenance, and turned that into a successful career at International Harvester Company, including civilian support in automotive logistics and management at U.S. Army bases in West Germany, where International Harvester provided vehicles and maintenance in support of military operations. His work for International Harvester also gave him the opportunity to live in San Antonio, Texas and Memphis, Tennessee, where he and his family lived until his retirement from International Harvester. While in Memphis, he developed a love for gardening, and was very proud of his large and varied vegetable garden that he cultivated and harvested during his free time on weekends.

Shortly after retirement, with children entering college, John and Peggy moved to Bentonville, Arkansas, which they loved and called home for nearly 30 years.

John enjoyed spending his time outdoors, working in his garden, manicuring a pristine lawn, fishing, and golfing.  He was proud to have been admitted to be a Shriner in the Scimitar Temple of Little Rock Arkansas.  John also loved Saturday afternoons watching college football, especially his favorite teams, Notre Dame and the Arkansas Razorbacks. He remained a loyal fan to both throughout his life.

John was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 62 years, Peggy Lawrence Heer, his brother, Caspar Fred of Missouri, and sisters, Marguerite Anderson, Helen Porter and Frances England, also of Missouri.

He is survived by two children, John Richard Heer Jr. (Pollyanna), of Gulf Breeze, Florida and Becky Heer Linker (Brent) of Tucson, Arizona, as well as five granddaughters – Sarah (Dex) Parten, Rachael Wahlgreen, Emily (Garrett) Ryan, Rebecca Wahlgreen, and Caroline Wahlgreen and great-grandchildren Weston and Olivia Parten.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 18^th, at Marana Mortuary & Cemetery, 12146 W. Barnett Rd, in Marana, Arizona.  Visitation immediately preceding at 10:30 a.m.

Donations may be made to the Humane Society.