Dennis H. Heisey

Dennis H. Heisey, age 73, a resident of Lancaster, passed away from complications of acute leukemia on Tuesday morning, January 16, 2018 at Lancaster General Hospital. Born September 14, 1944 in Schaefferstown, Lebanon County, he was the son of the late Enos B. and Jane Hackman Heisey. Dennis was the loving husband of Shirley Sauder Heisey for the past 34 years.

Dennis was a 1962 graduate of Central High School in Martinsburg, Blair County. He attended Elizabethtown College and graduated from McPherson College, McPherson, Kansas, in 1968 with degrees in Agricultural Business and Management. While in college, Dennis spent one summer working on a wheat harvest crew, traveling from Texas to Canada, and another summer helping to build Hershey Medical Center. He subsequently served as an admissions recruiter for McPherson College, and years later was the recipient of the college’s first annual Distinguished Alumni Award.

Early in his career, Dennis was employed in the credit division for the former Sperry New Holland. He devoted the majority of his professional career, nearly 27 years, to Agway Inc, where he began as Building and Construction Supervisor. From spearheading its launch in 1984 until 1999, he was the manager of Animal Health Catalog Division in Elizabethtown, serving agricultural customers both domestic and abroad. Keeping his roots within agriculture, from 1999 until his retirement in 2010 Dennis worked for Val-Co in administrative and customer service capacities. Following retirement Dennis thoroughly enjoyed working part time for High Steel Transit as an escort driver, for Unique Limousine, and for Manheim Auto Auction.

He was an active and faithful member of Hempfield Church of the Brethren, East Petersburg, where he and Shirley served as Deacons. Dennis previously served on board of directors for the Alpha & Omega Family Life Center and was current Chairman of Hempfield Church of the Brethren Cemetery Association. He was a lifelong member of the Church of the Brethren, with fond memories of attending Camp Swatara as a boy, and training with Brethren Volunteer Service at New Windsor. He fulfilled two years of alternative service with the United States Department of Agriculture in College Park, Maryland.

Dennis was proud to claim his attendance and witness to Wilt Chamberlin’s 100-point scoring game that took place at the Hershey Sports Arena on March 2, 1962. He loved listening to the Beach Boys and driving his numerous diesel Mercedes over the years, the most recent of which he traveled with his family to Germany to pick up in 2005. His lifelong travels took him to the South Pacific, Europe, and all lower 48 states. Most of all, Dennis loved to spend time at the family home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, where he was past president of the Spring Lake Homeowners Association. He also enjoyed traveling to Aruba every November for the past 21 consecutive years, even in the midst of his recent illness. His companion by his side through his illness was his dog, a Maltese named “Scotch.”

Dennis had a deep love for his family and will best be remembered for his sense of humor, strong work ethic, speaking through actions rather than words, and unwavering sense of integrity.

Surviving in addition to his wife is a daughter, Ashley, wife of Michael Giesecke of Wilmington, DE; a step granddaughter, Keely; and two brothers, Philip, husband of Noreen Heisey of Harleysville, and Thomas, husband of Cheryl Heisey of Allison Park. Preceding him in death are two sons, Brooks Heisey and Andrew Heisey.

Family and friends are respectfully invited to attend Dennis’ Service of Remembrance and Thanksgiving at the Hempfield Church of the Brethren, corner of Stevens Street and Metzler Road, East Petersburg, on Saturday, January 20, 2018 at 2:00PM. There will be a viewing at the church on Saturday afternoon from 12:00 noon until the time of the service. Interment in Hempfield Church of the Brethren Cemetery to follow. In lieu of flowers, those desiring may send contributions in Dennis’ memory to Hempfield Church of the Brethren Cemetery Association, P.O. Box 246, East Petersburg, PA 17520 or Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute, 2102 Harrisburg Pike, Lancaster, PA 17601.