John T. Heizer, longtime Haddonfield resident, passed away peacefully at home on April 1, at age 87. John was born in Martins Ferry, Ohio. As a child, John’s family moved frequently. When he was a teenager they settled in Hyde Park, a Cincinnati suburb. In high school his sister introduced him to his future wife, Joanne. After earning a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati, John moved with Joanne to South Jersey to work for RCA in Camden, finally settling in Haddonfield to start a family. After 25 years, initially as an audio engineer and, later, branching out into many areas of electronics, John left RCA and went on to work for several smaller companies before finally establishing a successful engineering contracting business.
John had also been a dedicated and well-loved member of Haddonfield Friends Meeting. During his early years at the Meeting, John was an active member of the Peace and Social Concerns committee. During this period he counseled conscientious objectors, and participated in protests in Camden against racial segregation of apartments and in Washington D.C. against the Vietnam war. His concern for political and social justice issues continued the rest of his life.
John had a fondness for quirky poetry, music, Les Misérables, community theatre, building and flying remote-controlled planes, French bread-baking, and all things technical, sharing his passions for photography, hobby computing, and a considerable LP collection with his sons.
Later in life, John and Joanne discovered their shared love of English Country Dancing, for many years dancing with groups around the region as well as holding their own regular weekly dances at the Friends Meeting House. John enjoyed meeting people and was always ready to help anyone who asked. One example is his becoming a sponsor of a disabled member of his Alcoholics Anonymous group with whom he had become friends.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 64 years, Joanne, and his sons David of Los Angeles, Kevin of Haddonfield, and Alex of Kansas City, Mo., and is predeceased by his parents and his sister, Janet.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made in John’s name to Haddonfield Friends Meeting, 47 Friends Avenue, Haddonfield, N.J. 08033.
There will be a memorial service at Haddonfield Friends Meeting at a later date. Please check www.KainMurphy.com for updated information.
