Gary John Heil

Gary John Heil, age 60, of Bear, DE went home to the Lord on January 22, 2023 after a heroic battle with pancreatic cancer. Throughout his fight, Gary consistently lived out his Christian faith and shared his trust in God with others. His courage and examples of strength will be forever treasured. Gary was born in Cuyahoga Falls, OH to the late Evelyn and John J. Heil. He was raised with three special sisters in Massillon, OH. Gary graduated from Jackson High School and Houghton College. In 1985, he met the love of his life, Kathryn Savopoulos, the younger sister of his best friend in college. They were wed in 1988 and over the years, welcomed a daughter and son. Gary had a career in banking for many years before shifting gears to become a trusted realtor with the Keller Williams Group. He was a devoted family man and was widely known as a caring person who was quick to lend a hand to those in need. He lovingly assisted with his father-in-law’s care for many years. Gary’s gifts included being very hospitable and an excellent cook, even perfecting many Greek dishes, to the delight of his wife’s family. Gary and his wife hosted many gatherings in their home. He had a great sense of humor and spread laughter and joy wherever he went. His family held annual New Year’s Eve parties and ushered in the new year with great food, funny skits, and karaoke. Gary was a very handy do-it-yourselfer and instilled that drive in his children as well. He always enjoyed time with his family, doing home projects, and working in his yard and garden where many of his loving touches remain. While the list of his accomplishments is long, there’s no way to quantify the personal impact Gary made in the lives of others. He and his wife were always active in the churches they attended and served as youth group leaders for many years. He felt blessed to also be a deacon to his beloved LifeHouse Church family. His family and friends and the many teens he reached are better because of the example he set. Gary had a rare and special bond with a group of likeminded men. Based on the principles of “Iron sharpening Iron” in Proverbs 27:17, they worked together to mentor and disciple each other to become men of excellence. Over the years, Gary invested in these relationships by his willingness to help others and serve as a mentor. He was blessed to be on the receiving end of those special bonds as a multitude of friends reached out in a variety of ways during his battle with cancer. The Heil family felt humbled, overwhelmed, and grateful for the outpouring of love and support from their family and friends. Gary’s serving heart and legacy of laughter, love, and caring will be carried forward in the lives of those closest to him. Gary is survived by his wife of 34 years, Kathie Heil; his daughter and son-in-law, Sarah Katina Rosecky and Michael Rosecky; his son and daughter-in-law, Nathanael Gary Heil and Melissa Heil; his sisters: Janet Stegen and husband Rich, Margaret Heil, and Karen Heil Borchert and husband Mark; his mother-in-law, Della Savopoulos; his brother-in-law, Sotiere E. Savopoulos and his wife Susan; his sister-in-law, Deborah Sartin and husband Frank; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, extended family, and friends. Gary was preceded in death by his parents, Evelyn and John; his father-in-law, Basil S. Savopoulos; and his nephew, Joshua Gibbs. Family and friends are invited to attend a visitation on Saturday, February 4, 2023 from 2:30-4 PM at LifeHouse Church, 101 Karins Blvd., Townsend, DE 19734 where a service in celebration of Gary’s life will follow at 4 PM. The service may be viewed via a livestream link through the church at https://boxcast.tv/view/gary-heil-celebration-service-february-4-4pm-esxkwjmrnvnhhcylucas This will also broadcast on lifehousemot.com from 3:30-6:30 PM on Saturday, February 4 via: http://lifehousemot.com/watch/live-stream Burial will take place at 10 AM on Monday, February 6 at the Hickory Grove Cemetery, Port Penn Road, Middletown, DE 19709. In lieu of flowers, donations are suggested to AMG International, c/o Panagiotis and Stamatia Vasilopoulos, 6815 Shallowford Rd., Chattanooga, TN 37421 Another charity that was dear to Gary's heart was the International Missionary Fellowship (IMF) https://haitihospital.org/get-involved/ a mission hospital established 50 years ago in Haiti that is dedicated to a population of over 60,000. Donations in his memory may be sent via https://donorbox.org/haitihospital For directions or to send an online condolence please visit www.stranofeeley.com

Gary John Heil

August 1, 1962 - January 22, 2023

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