Leo Darrold DeWain Heppner

Leo Darrold DeWain Heppner, passed away after a short illness, at UpperChesapeakeMedicalCenter in Bel Air, Maryland on March 31, 2008. He was 86.

He was born in Wilmont, South Dakota to the Late Paul and Louisa (Buck) Heppner and grew up in Genesee, Idaho. He was the son of farmers. He was the loving husband of the Late Lucia (Messina) Heppner, formerly of Wilmington, DE. Mr. Heppner had resided in Havre de Grace, Maryland since the early 50's, where he had begun his career at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, met his wife, began a family and had resided since.

Mr. Heppner was a devoted father to Leo Paul Heppner of Havre de Grace, MD and friend Terri Shepke of Dundalk, MD, Louisa Heppner Bowman and her husband Thomas F. Bowman, Jr. of Havre de Grace, MD, Marie N. Heppner and her husband Jeff Flora of Middlebury, Vermont. He is survived by his cousin Esther Heppner of Genessee, Idaho. He was predeceased by his brother Floyd Heppner and his sister Violet Steen.

Mr. Heppner served in the United States Army in WWII. He was a POW in Germany during that time. After serving in the military, he graduated from the University of Idaho and University of Washington, not only receiving a bachelor degree but also a master's degree as a Physicist. He worked for 30 years and retired from Aberdeen Proving Ground in Ballistics as a Nuclear Physicist Civil Service.

Mr. Heppner loved to volunteer not only his knowledge but his talents and time for HarfordCommunity College and various schools helping teach students his love for astronomy. When he was a child he had built his own telescope to view the stars. Mr. Heppner was co-founder of the Harford County Astronomical Society, over 30 years ago.
He also loved photography and passed on his love and talents to his son Leo who is a professional photographer. He loved to travel. He had taken his family to every continental state in the United States. He has also traveled to Europe several times. He enjoyed fine dining. He had gone several times to Cape Canaveral to see the space shuttles launch. He was a finalist for HarfordCounty most beautiful people in 2000. The Baltimore Sun recently featured a news article on him for the work he had done in astronomy and also Comcast had recently done a television special on his time served in WWII. He has been published several times in various magazines for his work in astronomy. When his children were young he would build telescopes for them and the neighborhood children so they to could view the stars from the front yard of the famiy home. He was a mentor to many people including young adults who had been graced with his knowledge and his kindness. He was always seen with contagious cheerful smile and positive attitude.

A visitation will be on Sunday, April 6, 2008 from 2 to 4 PM and 7 to 9 PM at the Zellman Funeral Home, P.A., 123 S. Washington St., Havre de Grace, Maryland 21078.

A service will be held on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 11 AM at St. Paul's LutheranChurch, 201 Mt. Royal Avenue, Aberdeen, Maryland21001.

Interment will be at St. Paul's LutheranCemetery, Aberdeen, Maryland.

Officiating is Rev. G. Neale Wirtanen.

Friends and Family may make contributions to the Harford County Astronomical Society, P.O. Box 906, Bel Air, Maryland 21014.