Lee Bernard Heavlin

(CARRBORO) – Lee Bernard Heavlin, age 78, died peacefully at home on the 10th of September 2024. He was born in his childhood home in Camden, NJ on February 13th, 1946, to the late Leona Bernard Heavlin and Paul Arndt Loth.

Mr. Heavlin left High School before graduation to join the Cole Bros. Circus, but that’s another story. After a short time traveling with the circus, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He began a career as a Naval Yeoman, during which he completed High School, and earned a bachelor's degree from Regents College, now called Excelsior University. During his time in the service, he married his wife of 52 years, Yoli Heavlin, and was stationed in Vietnam, the Republic of Korea, California (San Francisco Bay Area and San Diego), Portugal, Great Lakes in Illinois, Norfolk in Virginia, The Naval War College in Rhode Island, and the ROTC program at UNC at Chapel Hill. He retired as a Master Chief Petty Officer in 1993 to Carrboro, NC. An oral history of his military career, titled “Waiting on Orders”, was recorded for the State Archive of North Carolina in 2014. 

During his second career as a Business Analyst, he became heavily involved with the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and worked on many long-term volunteer projects assisting veterans and their families including, but not limited to, the Orange County Veterans Memorial and the relocation and construction of the new American Legion Chapel Hill Post No. 6. He received many recognitions and awards for his years of outstanding service as a prolific writer, contributor in public relations, and as a web designer. He was recently recognized as one of “Our Heroes” by the American Legion in Chapel Hill. Mr. Heavlin was also a Fourth Degree Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus and an active member of his parish, The Catholic Community of St. Thomas More, since 1990.

 Along with all of his volunteerism and community service, he enjoyed cooking and plating meals in their authentic dishes that were acquired during his military travels, telling stories, collecting typewriters, tinkering, and spending quality time with his wife, Yoli, family, life-long friends, and his dog Shy.

Lee Heavlin is survived by three children, Jorge Lee Heavlin (Heather), Lauralee Heavlin Long, and Johanna M. Heavlin-Martinez (Andrew); as well as five grandchildren, Leanna Elise Long, Rachel Heavlin, Kehl Heavlin, Jeremy Heavlin-Martinez (Tessa), and Shawn Heavlin-Martinez (Summaya); one great-grandchild, Sagan Heavlin-Martinez; one brother, Ivan Gehman III; and one uncle, Donald F. Loth; many nieces and nephews; and many great-nieces and nephews. Lee was preceded in death by his wife, Elvia Yolanda Heavlin; his daughter, Lisa Ann Heavlin; four brothers, William Burns, Harry C. Burns Sr., Frank Burns, Paul Loth; and two sisters, Anna May (Burns) Morgan and Felice Burns.

The Heavlin and Long family will welcome friends of the family to a wake on Sunday, September 22, 2024, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Hall-Wynne Funeral Home at 1113 West Main Street, Durham, NC 27701.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, September 24, 2024, at 1:30 p.m., at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 940 Carmichael Street, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Inurnment will follow the Funeral Mass at the St. Thomas More Church Columbarium. A reception for visitors will follow in the church’s co-located Friends and Family Hall.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Diocese of Raleigh Priest Retirement Fund or Fund for Vocations: fundforvocations.org 

The Heavlin and Long family is under the care of Hall-Wynne Funeral Service. Online condolences: www.hallwynne.com – select obituaries.