Allen Lee Heydrick

"Grampa always shared his chocolate with me." Yes he did. Whether you were his grand- or great-grandchild, co-worker or friend, he'd always share his chocolate — which is saying something, since he had such a pronounced sweet tooth.

Allen Lee Heydrick passed away Sunday, April 25, 2021 after a long and full life of traveling the back roads, loving the Lord, playing softball and eating cobbler.

Lee, as his friends knew him, was born Dec. 13, 1934, in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. The oldest of 7, he grew up with the understanding that if he'd pick the blackberries, his mother would make him a pie. No berry patch was too prickly, literally or figuratively, for him to achieve his goal.

As a skinny, redheaded 17 year old he graduated from high school and, following the tickle of his analytical brain, went to electronic trade school and eventually to Indiana Tech. Between educational stints, he joined the Navy and served in active duty — and the company softball team — from 1954-1958, and in the reserves from 1958-1962.

He eventually joined Texas Instruments, where he worked on projects as diverse as the development of anti-lock brakes (he was a fan, but didn't think they were worth the price tag) to several classified military programs. Ironically, he spent much of his early career building radar systems … and later on, missile systems designed to blow them up.

As his friends and co-workers discovered, he was stubborn. In no way was this more apparent than when he was looking for the perfect campsite. Never one to settle for "good enough," he kept pushing around the next corner, looking for that magical spot of tree and dirt and river, sunshine and flowers, birdsong and quiet. Whether he pitched a tent or just parked the camper on a flat spot, he usually collected twigs and logs and made a fire for the evening.

While raising his family, he served as a deacon in his church, and taught high school students as well as a college and career class that took him on mission trips. If there was a mountain, he'd climb it, a ski run, he'd ski it. As a youth group leader, he took many a teen down the river via canoe.

Though his first car was a Model A that he fixed up himself, his favorite way to travel the roads was first via camper, and then in his trusty Suburban, which he used to drive all over the Southwest to play in softball tournaments well into his 80s. He never lost his affection for throwing the ball, and despite a Parkinson's diagnosis, continued to play. In fact, his doctors were amazed at his tenacity, and speculated that perhaps he had delayed some of the ravages of that disease by his on-the-go, let's-play-ball lifestyle.

His strength of character allowed him to stand up to bullies — both the garden-variety "mean guy" and the more serious red-tape governmental type — unflinchingly. And yet nothing could make him weak in the knees quite like a beautiful song.

He was a devout member of his church, and helped write the Man of God Bible Study, which he took to Africa and taught. Other mission trips included China, and he continued to study the Bible. He preferred Psalms to Proverbs, old hymns to contemporary music, and greatly enjoyed the fellowship he found with his friends and fellow churchgoers.

After a stroke took so much of his vigor and self-sufficiency two years ago, what remained was the essence of Lee — sweet, kind, grateful and a bit stubborn. Though the words were harder to get out, and the walks sometimes laborious, he continued to love and be loved by his wife, Linda, his family and his many good friends. He was preceded in death by his parents Clarita and Al Heydrick, his first wife Esther Heydrick, his sisters Sally and Nancy, and his grandson Ben. He leaves behind his wife, Linda, and siblings Rob (Janine) Heydrick, Rita Rehm, Stan (Judy) Heydrick, Carol (Crafton) Mitchell and might-as-well-be-a-brother Tom (Jean) Newton; his children Jeff (Donna) Heydrick, Bill (Jill) Heydrick, Susan (Khalil) Coudsy, Doug (Debbie) Heydrick, Wren Bova and Lori (Justin) Weinberg; 22 grandkids, 16 great-grandkids and a host of nieces and nephews. He leaves a giant hole in our hearts, but is still here in so many ways, in so many humans. We were blessed to have known him.

We will be celebrating his life with viewing and visitation on May 4, 2021, 6-8pm at Mulkey-Bowles-Montgomery Funeral Home 705 N. Locust St., Denton, TX 76201. The memorial service will be on May 5, 2021 at 2pm at Denton Bible Church 2300 E. University Dr., Denton, TX 76209.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his name at Denton Bible Missions

dbcm.org or Fellowship for Performing Arts Fpatheatre.com/support