EDWARD HELLER

Strawberry Ice Cream Loses Best Friend – The Passing of Quiet Greatness

The planet has lost a world class story teller, multiple communities have lost a loyal contributor and constant volunteer, thousands of children over seven decades have lost a great coach, mentor, and supporter, and a family has lost one of its greatest protectors and defenders.
At the age of 87, Edward Henry Heller passed peacefully as he slept on the sunshine filled morning of December 13, 2024 in the home of his daughter, Cindy Young, whose family provided him love and comfort in his final days. While the full moon was always associated with Ed’s wife, Carol Heller, who loved to read late into the night, the rising sun brings thoughts of dad, as he loved the feel of it on his skin and was always concerned about “burning daylight when work should be done”. They truly were the sun and moon to their children.
Worth noting, a full moon was witnessed glowing gloriously in the clear night sky the evening of Ed’s passing.
Ed was born on May 26, 1937 in a Nebraska farming community, and was raised in Clatonia,NE. He excelled as an exceptional athlete through his high school years, playing basketball and pitching for both his high school and the town teams. He went to college in Lincoln, NE and played freshman basketball at UNL while also caring for his wife, Carol, and their first child,Cindy. Upon graduation Ed took a position with the Soil Conservation Service, and moved his family, first to Higginsville, MO, then to LaGrange MO, where he invested his life into his family and his community for more than 60 years with his wife and three children, Cindy, Chris and Joe.
Ed’s accomplishments, awards and commendations are literally too numerous to list and too far reaching for most to even imagine. From “retiring” six times: Soil Conservation Service,33 years; Basketball Officiating, 30 plus years, over 5,150 official games, 11 state tournaments, countless regional tournaments; Baseball/Softball Umpire: 30 plus years, official games unknown; Bergman’s Nurseries, 15 years; Head Coach Culver Stockton Softball,15 years; Terrible’s Casinos, 15 years (he was employee number two on the seniority list). Also coaching Team USA softball (NAIA) in both Europe and Australia, undefeated in Europe and Australia. To being nominated and inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame by a unanimous vote in 2006, the only inductee ever to enter HOF as an official (referee), To playing and coaching decades of fast pitch softball with his friends from the LaGrange Softball Team to the Ozark Nationals. 
Ed was also involved in hosting a radio show, speaking at countless athletic banquets throughout the tri-state area, supporting numerous booster clubs throughout the communities he traveled, member and volunteer at the Methodist Church in LaGrange and the Lions Club, Acting as Emcee for any community event for which he was asked and the list goes on and on.
Through all this, his one true goal in life was to just be known as a loyal friend and good guy. He strived to do as much as possible for as many as possible as quietly as possible, making sure he worked enough to sweat every day, and never miss a chance to shut up. He’d be the first to admit he didn’t always succeed, but he always tried.
If possible, his spirit will be at every ball game of every child that is the offspring of anyone he touched, at every gathering to support a community or group of children he knows.
In all his traveling, it was not uncommon for him to stop and watch a game because he spotted lights on at a ballpark or a football field, regardless of the teams or towns playing. His presence will always be where ever the lights are on, a game is being played and the concession stand has strawberry ice cream.
“Love you so much, dad. We’ll do our best to teach the lessons and live to the standard set by you and mom. You were, without a doubt, a good guy.”
Ed is survived by three children, Cindy (Bruce) Young of Columbia, MO, Chris (Rose) Heller of Fort Smith, AR, and Joe (Jackie) Heller of St. Louis, MO. He was most proud of his 11 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren also surviving are two sisters in law, Beverly Tiedeman and Glenna Heller both of Nebraska; nephews, Bruce (Karen) Tiedeman and Joshua (Cara) Heller and one niece Jennifer (Jamey) Krueger. He was blessed with an extended family and many friends in Nebraska, who he truly cherished and remained in regular contact with throughout his life. 
He was preceded in passing by his parents, his wife, Carol Heller, his brother, Paul Heller, and his brothers-in-law, Melvin Tiedeman and Ronald Albert.
The family suggests memorials be made to the La Grange United Methodist Church or to the La Grange Lions Club in care of Davis Funeral Home, P.O. Box 146, La Grange, MO 63448
Memorial services are pending following the holidays.
Online condolences may be left at www.davis-fh.com