Funeral Home and On- Site Crematory Location:
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Dubuque
IA
52002
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Obituary for Richard B Hefel
Richard Bernard Hefel, 71, died at home on January 19, 2015. His death was a tribute to his life. He passed surrounded by his wife, their five children, and the walls of the farmhouse that he and his wife had restored ten years earlier.
Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 22 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Bellevue, IA. Burial will be in St. Joseph Cemetery, Bellevue, IA. Friends may call from 2-8 p.m., Wednesday at the Egelhof, Siegert & Casper Westview Funeral Home and Crematory, 2659 John F Kennedy Road and from 9:30-10:15 a.m., Thursday at the Church.
Richard was a man of many parts and known by several names. His friends called him “Dick”. His students at Wahlert High school, where he taught physics and chemistry for 47 years, called him “Hefel”. He was “Coach” to hundreds of athletes.
He was born April 3, 1943 in Holy Cross, Iowa, the fifth of eight children born to George and Emma (Errthum) Hefel. Richard received a B.S. in Physics and Education from Loras College. He married his high school sweetheart Madonna Murphy on June 12, 1965. After he married, with his wife Madonna’s support he earned an M.A. in Earth Science from the University of Northern Iowa.
He began his coaching career with football at his grade school alma mater, Holy Ghost. He went on to coach boys track and field at Wahlert for over 30 years. Long jump, high jump and pole vault became his particular passion and he produced State champions in all of these events. He became head coach at Wahlert and was invited to coach men's and women's pole vault and high jump at Loras. He coached at Loras for 11 years and produced all-Americans in men and women's pole vault and men's high jump.
Never one to miss an opportunity to use science, Richard integrated it with conservation in the two houses he built for his family from the ground up. He installed solar panels on his family house in Dubuque in the 1980’s, and when he and Madonna restored their farmhouse in 2004 he installed geothermal heating and cooling. He also invested in land management and preservation on the surrounding acreage at the farm.
It was Richard who named the farmhouse “Grandview Farm.” One of his greatest pleasures in later life was to sit on his porch and look out at the surrounding country. Iowa, he always said, had a different type of beauty. In 2009 he and Madonna fulfilled their dream and opened the Grandview Farm Bed and Breakfast. There they hosted guests from as far afield as London as well as the local community for regular hayrides, cook-outs, and an annual pumpkin carving party.
Dick was an inventive man who could enjoy simple things. He liked getting deals on antiques at auctions, making ice rinks in the backyard for his kids in the winter, finding the perfect sledding hills for his grand kids, reading any book going on the second world war, eating good pie, and spending time with his beloved family.
He is survived by wife, Madonna Hefel, children Rick (Vicki) Hefel, Christina Hefel (Andrew Meyer), Kathleen (Bathsheba) Doran, Elizabeth Hefel (Gavin Gould), Andrea (Donovan) Devore and grandchildren, Rachel, Ben, Nick & Megan Hefel, Hugo Doran, and James Devore.
He was preceded in death by his parents, and brother, Kenneth.
In lieu of flowers a Richard Hefel memorial fund has been established.
The family would like to extend our thanks to Genesis Hospice and Skilled Care in Maquoketa.
Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 22 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Bellevue, IA. Burial will be in St. Joseph Cemetery, Bellevue, IA. Friends may call from 2-8 p.m., Wednesday at the Egelhof, Siegert & Casper Westview Funeral Home and Crematory, 2659 John F Kennedy Road and from 9:30-10:15 a.m., Thursday at the Church.
Richard was a man of many parts and known by several names. His friends called him “Dick”. His students at Wahlert High school, where he taught physics and chemistry for 47 years, called him “Hefel”. He was “Coach” to hundreds of athletes.
He was born April 3, 1943 in Holy Cross, Iowa, the fifth of eight children born to George and Emma (Errthum) Hefel. Richard received a B.S. in Physics and Education from Loras College. He married his high school sweetheart Madonna Murphy on June 12, 1965. After he married, with his wife Madonna’s support he earned an M.A. in Earth Science from the University of Northern Iowa.
He began his coaching career with football at his grade school alma mater, Holy Ghost. He went on to coach boys track and field at Wahlert for over 30 years. Long jump, high jump and pole vault became his particular passion and he produced State champions in all of these events. He became head coach at Wahlert and was invited to coach men's and women's pole vault and high jump at Loras. He coached at Loras for 11 years and produced all-Americans in men and women's pole vault and men's high jump.
Never one to miss an opportunity to use science, Richard integrated it with conservation in the two houses he built for his family from the ground up. He installed solar panels on his family house in Dubuque in the 1980’s, and when he and Madonna restored their farmhouse in 2004 he installed geothermal heating and cooling. He also invested in land management and preservation on the surrounding acreage at the farm.
It was Richard who named the farmhouse “Grandview Farm.” One of his greatest pleasures in later life was to sit on his porch and look out at the surrounding country. Iowa, he always said, had a different type of beauty. In 2009 he and Madonna fulfilled their dream and opened the Grandview Farm Bed and Breakfast. There they hosted guests from as far afield as London as well as the local community for regular hayrides, cook-outs, and an annual pumpkin carving party.
Dick was an inventive man who could enjoy simple things. He liked getting deals on antiques at auctions, making ice rinks in the backyard for his kids in the winter, finding the perfect sledding hills for his grand kids, reading any book going on the second world war, eating good pie, and spending time with his beloved family.
He is survived by wife, Madonna Hefel, children Rick (Vicki) Hefel, Christina Hefel (Andrew Meyer), Kathleen (Bathsheba) Doran, Elizabeth Hefel (Gavin Gould), Andrea (Donovan) Devore and grandchildren, Rachel, Ben, Nick & Megan Hefel, Hugo Doran, and James Devore.
He was preceded in death by his parents, and brother, Kenneth.
In lieu of flowers a Richard Hefel memorial fund has been established.
The family would like to extend our thanks to Genesis Hospice and Skilled Care in Maquoketa.
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