CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF GENE HEIDT
Childhood through High School
Gene was born in Portland but toddled to Canby, Oregon at the age of three when his parents, Carol and Art, decided to transplant the family to a peaceful twelve-acre property there. Even as a wee boy, Gene loved the farm and loved wearing his little rubber farm boots to rove around the property and help with chores. He had an affinity for all things John Deere – incidentally, caps and t-shirts with the John Deere logo are now considered quite the fashion rage in large urban centers. Apparently, little boy Gene was ahead of his time. He reveled in riding his John Deere pedal-tractor about, imitating his dad driving the real thing.
Other Boyhood Favorites
G.I. Joe action figures, the cartoon “Ducktales,” chocolate milk, minimal servings of nutritious dinners yet heaping bowlfuls of ice cream, ambitions to become a farmer when he grew up, rearranging his room several times a week, the lyrics of Billy Joel’s “We Didn't Start the Fire,” attempts to break dance, Nintendo, and his source of transportation: the small blue and white Peugot bike.
He played T-ball as a wee lad and then baseball as an older boy, took up soccer in elementary school and tennis in junior high and beyond. A talented tennis player, he was a four-year letterman. Along with his doubles partner and good friend, Brant, he advanced to the state tournament his senior year. Also during his senior year, he was the Arnold Schwarzenegger (his pre-politician years) of Canby High: he held the title of the strongest kid in his school, able to lift more than any of his peers – even the braying, chest-pounding football players! Go, Gene.
He memorized John Travolta’s “Stayin’ Alive” dance routine from the movie of the same name. He continued to perform this in his twenties at dance parties, clubs, or whenever the opportunity arose. Women loved the display.
Lingo
In high school, Gene was wild about Jim Carey as “Ace Ventura, Pet Detective,” and often imitated – especially in the company of Cousin Anthony – his goofy antics and phrases, such as “Alrightie thennn…!” Gene was a natural entertainer and a veritable comedian to those around him; he could always provide a good laugh for the family via impersonations (Pelvis Elvis, Rodney Dangerfield), facial expressions, witty comments, and favorite quips.
Some of our favorites:
“I’d like to thank all the little people.”
“You may kiss my rings.”
“And God bless us, every one.”
College and Beyond
The impulse for change (see room-rearranging above) continued into Gene’s early twenties. He sampled several universities in his time, from University of Oregon to Linn Community College to University of New Mexico to Portland State University, where he earned his B.A. in Psychology at the end of 1999. It was a suitable field of study for him, as he was a deep, sensitive person who genuinely cared about other people and their life experiences. He was becoming a young man with a wise soul at this time. Interestingly, he felt at home with those of the previous generation, notably family friends Steve and Warren, with whom he often had long conversations. For a few summers in late high school through early college, Gene worked for a local Canby farmer, Lew, bucking hay and driving a tractor. In this way, his boyhood desire to “be a farmer” was fulfilled, while he simultaneously had the opportunity to enjoy the company of his hardworking mentor, Lew. Gene easily connected with a variety of people and personalities. We, the fabric of his beautiful mosaic, are a motley crew, indeed.
His first year after college, the now long-haired Gene worked as a yacht salesman at Pier 91 on the Columbia River. This was a tough scene, as it was 100% commission work, and selling yachts is not like selling hot cakes. He practically felt like a volunteer and would often joke to us, “Hey, I’m working pro bono here – ‘for the good.’” On one occasion, one of the boats actually began to sink right before he closed the deal! So much for that commission. After a year of learning some gritty lessons about the life of a used-yacht salesman, he quit – to our great relief – and began working for the company that his father Art had been a co-owner of and retired from years earlier; Northwest Pump and Equipment. And Gene did inside sales there for the rest of his short life. In Christmas of 2004, he took a temporary moonlighting job in Meier & Frank’s men’s apparel department and decided to make a change in his wardrobe for the first time in his life, deviating from his stock jeans and Tevas look to embrace dress slacks and nice shirts. M&F liked him so much that they offered him a position in the women’s shoe department! Never feeling threatened by his feminine side, Gene accepted; and although he was not opposed to wearing the purple bra around his neck during the road race (see explanation below), women’s shoes were not his cup of tea. He resigned after a couple of months of working long hours and won back his prized free time.
Nonconformist
Gene liked to bend the social rules of conformity for his own amusement. For example, during the Hood to Coast relay race, he ran the last leg for his twelve-person team proudly wearing a slinky purple bra slung around his neck and flopping against his bare chest as he strode across the finish line. Before moving to Northwest Pump’s inside sales position, he worked for the company’s call center doing the graveyard shift. This meant he need not interact with customers in person. This also meant that the professional garb of the business world, which was not his style at this stage, was not exactly necessary. Ergo, in an episode reminiscent of Hawkeye Pierce of the television series M.A.S.H., Gene once showed up to work in his bathrobe and cowboy boots. (Brief side note: The day that he acquired his first pair of cowboy boots at age four, he refused to remove them at bedtime and hence slept in them.)
- Lovingly written by Tracie Heidt
Childhood through High School
Gene was born in Portland but toddled to Canby, Oregon at the age of three when his parents, Carol and Art, decided to transplant the family to a peaceful twelve-acre property there. Even as a wee boy, Gene loved the farm and loved wearing his little rubber farm boots to rove around the property and help with chores. He had an affinity for all things John Deere – incidentally, caps and t-shirts with the John Deere logo are now considered quite the fashion rage in large urban centers. Apparently, little boy Gene was ahead of his time. He reveled in riding his John Deere pedal-tractor about, imitating his dad driving the real thing.
Other Boyhood Favorites
G.I. Joe action figures, the cartoon “Ducktales,” chocolate milk, minimal servings of nutritious dinners yet heaping bowlfuls of ice cream, ambitions to become a farmer when he grew up, rearranging his room several times a week, the lyrics of Billy Joel’s “We Didn't Start the Fire,” attempts to break dance, Nintendo, and his source of transportation: the small blue and white Peugot bike.
He played T-ball as a wee lad and then baseball as an older boy, took up soccer in elementary school and tennis in junior high and beyond. A talented tennis player, he was a four-year letterman. Along with his doubles partner and good friend, Brant, he advanced to the state tournament his senior year. Also during his senior year, he was the Arnold Schwarzenegger (his pre-politician years) of Canby High: he held the title of the strongest kid in his school, able to lift more than any of his peers – even the braying, chest-pounding football players! Go, Gene.
He memorized John Travolta’s “Stayin’ Alive” dance routine from the movie of the same name. He continued to perform this in his twenties at dance parties, clubs, or whenever the opportunity arose. Women loved the display.
Lingo
In high school, Gene was wild about Jim Carey as “Ace Ventura, Pet Detective,” and often imitated – especially in the company of Cousin Anthony – his goofy antics and phrases, such as “Alrightie thennn…!” Gene was a natural entertainer and a veritable comedian to those around him; he could always provide a good laugh for the family via impersonations (Pelvis Elvis, Rodney Dangerfield), facial expressions, witty comments, and favorite quips.
Some of our favorites:
“I’d like to thank all the little people.”
“You may kiss my rings.”
“And God bless us, every one.”
College and Beyond
The impulse for change (see room-rearranging above) continued into Gene’s early twenties. He sampled several universities in his time, from University of Oregon to Linn Community College to University of New Mexico to Portland State University, where he earned his B.A. in Psychology at the end of 1999. It was a suitable field of study for him, as he was a deep, sensitive person who genuinely cared about other people and their life experiences. He was becoming a young man with a wise soul at this time. Interestingly, he felt at home with those of the previous generation, notably family friends Steve and Warren, with whom he often had long conversations. For a few summers in late high school through early college, Gene worked for a local Canby farmer, Lew, bucking hay and driving a tractor. In this way, his boyhood desire to “be a farmer” was fulfilled, while he simultaneously had the opportunity to enjoy the company of his hardworking mentor, Lew. Gene easily connected with a variety of people and personalities. We, the fabric of his beautiful mosaic, are a motley crew, indeed.
His first year after college, the now long-haired Gene worked as a yacht salesman at Pier 91 on the Columbia River. This was a tough scene, as it was 100% commission work, and selling yachts is not like selling hot cakes. He practically felt like a volunteer and would often joke to us, “Hey, I’m working pro bono here – ‘for the good.’” On one occasion, one of the boats actually began to sink right before he closed the deal! So much for that commission. After a year of learning some gritty lessons about the life of a used-yacht salesman, he quit – to our great relief – and began working for the company that his father Art had been a co-owner of and retired from years earlier; Northwest Pump and Equipment. And Gene did inside sales there for the rest of his short life. In Christmas of 2004, he took a temporary moonlighting job in Meier & Frank’s men’s apparel department and decided to make a change in his wardrobe for the first time in his life, deviating from his stock jeans and Tevas look to embrace dress slacks and nice shirts. M&F liked him so much that they offered him a position in the women’s shoe department! Never feeling threatened by his feminine side, Gene accepted; and although he was not opposed to wearing the purple bra around his neck during the road race (see explanation below), women’s shoes were not his cup of tea. He resigned after a couple of months of working long hours and won back his prized free time.
Nonconformist
Gene liked to bend the social rules of conformity for his own amusement. For example, during the Hood to Coast relay race, he ran the last leg for his twelve-person team proudly wearing a slinky purple bra slung around his neck and flopping against his bare chest as he strode across the finish line. Before moving to Northwest Pump’s inside sales position, he worked for the company’s call center doing the graveyard shift. This meant he need not interact with customers in person. This also meant that the professional garb of the business world, which was not his style at this stage, was not exactly necessary. Ergo, in an episode reminiscent of Hawkeye Pierce of the television series M.A.S.H., Gene once showed up to work in his bathrobe and cowboy boots. (Brief side note: The day that he acquired his first pair of cowboy boots at age four, he refused to remove them at bedtime and hence slept in them.)
- Lovingly written by Tracie Heidt
CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF GENE HEIDT
Childhood through High School
Gene was born in Portland but toddled to Canby, Oregon at the age of three when his parents, Carol and Art, decided to transplant the family to a peaceful twelve-acre property there. Even as a wee boy, Gene loved the farm and loved wearing his little rubber farm boots to rove around the property and help with chores. He had an affinity for all things John Deere – incidentally, caps and t-shirts with the John Deere logo are now considered quite the fashion rage in large urban centers. Apparently, little boy Gene was ahead of his time. He reveled in riding his John Deere pedal-tractor about, imitating his dad driving the real thing.
Other Boyhood Favorites
G.I. Joe action figures, the cartoon “Ducktales,” chocolate milk, minimal servings of nutritious dinners yet heaping bowlfuls of ice cream, ambitions to become a farmer when he grew up, rearranging his room several times a week, the lyrics of Billy Joel’s “We Didn't Start the Fire,” attempts to break dance, Nintendo, and his source of transportation: the small blue and white Peugot bike.
He played T-ball as a wee lad and then baseball as an older boy, took up soccer in elementary school and tennis in junior high and beyond. A talented tennis player, he was a four-year letterman. Along with his doubles partner and good friend, Brant, he advanced to the state tournament his senior year. Also during his senior year, he was the Arnold Schwarzenegger (his pre-politician years) of Canby High: he held the title of the strongest kid in his school, able to lift more than any of his peers – even the braying, chest-pounding football players! Go, Gene.
He memorized John Travolta’s “Stayin’ Alive” dance routine from the movie of the same name. He continued to perform this in his twenties at dance parties, clubs, or whenever the opportunity arose. Women loved the display.
Lingo
In high school, Gene was wild about Jim Carey as “Ace Ventura, Pet Detective,” and often imitated – especially in the company of Cousin Anthony – his goofy antics and phrases, such as “Alrightie thennn…!” Gene was a natural entertainer and a veritable comedian to those around him; he could always provide a good laugh for the family via impersonations (Pelvis Elvis, Rodney Dangerfield), facial expressions, witty comments, and favorite quips.
Some of our favorites:
“I’d like to thank all the little people.”
“You may kiss my rings.”
“And God bless us, every one.”
College and Beyond
The impulse for change (see room-rearranging above) continued into Gene’s early twenties. He sampled several universities in his time, from University of Oregon to Linn Community College to University of New Mexico to Portland State University, where he earned his B.A. in Psychology at the end of 1999. It was a suitable field of study for him, as he was a deep, sensitive person who genuinely cared about other people and their life experiences. He was becoming a young man with a wise soul at this time. Interestingly, he felt at home with those of the previous generation, notably family friends Steve and Warren, with whom he often had long conversations. For a few summers in late high school through early college, Gene worked for a local Canby farmer, Lew, bucking hay and driving a tractor. In this way, his boyhood desire to “be a farmer” was fulfilled, while he simultaneously had the opportunity to enjoy the company of his hardworking mentor, Lew. Gene easily connected with a variety of people and personalities. We, the fabric of his beautiful mosaic, are a motley crew, indeed.
His first year after college, the now long-haired Gene worked as a yacht salesman at Pier 91 on the Columbia River. This was a tough scene, as it was 100% commission work, and selling yachts is not like selling hot cakes. He practically felt like a volunteer and would often joke to us, “Hey, I’m working pro bono here – ‘for the good.’” On one occasion, one of the boats actually began to sink right before he closed the deal! So much for that commission. After a year of learning some gritty lessons about the life of a used-yacht salesman, he quit – to our great relief – and began working for the company that his father Art had been a co-owner of and retired from years earlier; Northwest Pump and Equipment. And Gene did inside sales there for the rest of his short life. In Christmas of 2004, he took a temporary moonlighting job in Meier & Frank’s men’s apparel department and decided to make a change in his wardrobe for the first time in his life, deviating from his stock jeans and Tevas look to embrace dress slacks and nice shirts. M&F liked him so much that they offered him a position in the women’s shoe department! Never feeling threatened by his feminine side, Gene accepted; and although he was not opposed to wearing the purple bra around his neck during the road race (see explanation below), women’s shoes were not his cup of tea. He resigned after a couple of months of working long hours and won back his prized free time.
Nonconformist
Gene liked to bend the social rules of conformity for his own amusement. For example, during the Hood to Coast relay race, he ran the last leg for his twelve-person team proudly wearing a slinky purple bra slung around his neck and flopping against his bare chest as he strode across the finish line. Before moving to Northwest Pump’s inside sales position, he worked for the company’s call center doing the graveyard shift. This meant he need not interact with customers in person. This also meant that the professional garb of the business world, which was not his style at this stage, was not exactly necessary. Ergo, in an episode reminiscent of Hawkeye Pierce of the television series M.A.S.H., Gene once showed up to work in his bathrobe and cowboy boots. (Brief side note: The day that he acquired his first pair of cowboy boots at age four, he refused to remove them at bedtime and hence slept in them.)
- Lovingly written by Tracie Heidt
Childhood through High School
Gene was born in Portland but toddled to Canby, Oregon at the age of three when his parents, Carol and Art, decided to transplant the family to a peaceful twelve-acre property there. Even as a wee boy, Gene loved the farm and loved wearing his little rubber farm boots to rove around the property and help with chores. He had an affinity for all things John Deere – incidentally, caps and t-shirts with the John Deere logo are now considered quite the fashion rage in large urban centers. Apparently, little boy Gene was ahead of his time. He reveled in riding his John Deere pedal-tractor about, imitating his dad driving the real thing.
Other Boyhood Favorites
G.I. Joe action figures, the cartoon “Ducktales,” chocolate milk, minimal servings of nutritious dinners yet heaping bowlfuls of ice cream, ambitions to become a farmer when he grew up, rearranging his room several times a week, the lyrics of Billy Joel’s “We Didn't Start the Fire,” attempts to break dance, Nintendo, and his source of transportation: the small blue and white Peugot bike.
He played T-ball as a wee lad and then baseball as an older boy, took up soccer in elementary school and tennis in junior high and beyond. A talented tennis player, he was a four-year letterman. Along with his doubles partner and good friend, Brant, he advanced to the state tournament his senior year. Also during his senior year, he was the Arnold Schwarzenegger (his pre-politician years) of Canby High: he held the title of the strongest kid in his school, able to lift more than any of his peers – even the braying, chest-pounding football players! Go, Gene.
He memorized John Travolta’s “Stayin’ Alive” dance routine from the movie of the same name. He continued to perform this in his twenties at dance parties, clubs, or whenever the opportunity arose. Women loved the display.
Lingo
In high school, Gene was wild about Jim Carey as “Ace Ventura, Pet Detective,” and often imitated – especially in the company of Cousin Anthony – his goofy antics and phrases, such as “Alrightie thennn…!” Gene was a natural entertainer and a veritable comedian to those around him; he could always provide a good laugh for the family via impersonations (Pelvis Elvis, Rodney Dangerfield), facial expressions, witty comments, and favorite quips.
Some of our favorites:
“I’d like to thank all the little people.”
“You may kiss my rings.”
“And God bless us, every one.”
College and Beyond
The impulse for change (see room-rearranging above) continued into Gene’s early twenties. He sampled several universities in his time, from University of Oregon to Linn Community College to University of New Mexico to Portland State University, where he earned his B.A. in Psychology at the end of 1999. It was a suitable field of study for him, as he was a deep, sensitive person who genuinely cared about other people and their life experiences. He was becoming a young man with a wise soul at this time. Interestingly, he felt at home with those of the previous generation, notably family friends Steve and Warren, with whom he often had long conversations. For a few summers in late high school through early college, Gene worked for a local Canby farmer, Lew, bucking hay and driving a tractor. In this way, his boyhood desire to “be a farmer” was fulfilled, while he simultaneously had the opportunity to enjoy the company of his hardworking mentor, Lew. Gene easily connected with a variety of people and personalities. We, the fabric of his beautiful mosaic, are a motley crew, indeed.
His first year after college, the now long-haired Gene worked as a yacht salesman at Pier 91 on the Columbia River. This was a tough scene, as it was 100% commission work, and selling yachts is not like selling hot cakes. He practically felt like a volunteer and would often joke to us, “Hey, I’m working pro bono here – ‘for the good.’” On one occasion, one of the boats actually began to sink right before he closed the deal! So much for that commission. After a year of learning some gritty lessons about the life of a used-yacht salesman, he quit – to our great relief – and began working for the company that his father Art had been a co-owner of and retired from years earlier; Northwest Pump and Equipment. And Gene did inside sales there for the rest of his short life. In Christmas of 2004, he took a temporary moonlighting job in Meier & Frank’s men’s apparel department and decided to make a change in his wardrobe for the first time in his life, deviating from his stock jeans and Tevas look to embrace dress slacks and nice shirts. M&F liked him so much that they offered him a position in the women’s shoe department! Never feeling threatened by his feminine side, Gene accepted; and although he was not opposed to wearing the purple bra around his neck during the road race (see explanation below), women’s shoes were not his cup of tea. He resigned after a couple of months of working long hours and won back his prized free time.
Nonconformist
Gene liked to bend the social rules of conformity for his own amusement. For example, during the Hood to Coast relay race, he ran the last leg for his twelve-person team proudly wearing a slinky purple bra slung around his neck and flopping against his bare chest as he strode across the finish line. Before moving to Northwest Pump’s inside sales position, he worked for the company’s call center doing the graveyard shift. This meant he need not interact with customers in person. This also meant that the professional garb of the business world, which was not his style at this stage, was not exactly necessary. Ergo, in an episode reminiscent of Hawkeye Pierce of the television series M.A.S.H., Gene once showed up to work in his bathrobe and cowboy boots. (Brief side note: The day that he acquired his first pair of cowboy boots at age four, he refused to remove them at bedtime and hence slept in them.)
- Lovingly written by Tracie Heidt
Inscription
Our Beloved Son Brother and Friend
