Michael Heaphy

Michael Patrick Heaphy passed away January 5, 2025, after a long illness. He was born August 31, 1954, to Marilyn Rose Sercu Heaphy and Leo Joseph Heaphy in Buffalo, NY. The family moved to Belleville, IL and then to Durham, NC, where he attended Bishop McGinnis Memorial High School and pitched on the baseball team. He attended NC State in Raleigh for several years, then took a break and joined the Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers Circus. He didn't really like caring for elephants, so he joined the Army in January 1974.

Mike was in the 82nd Airborne Division of the US Army and was designated as a Jungle Expert. Jumping out of airplanes didn't always go well, and he once landed on a very spiny black palm and took away some permanent souvenirs. Later his platoon jumped at an altitude below what they were expecting, and he had some injuries that caused him to change his assignment from jumping out of airplanes. He relocated to the Washington DC area where he became a Sergeant in the Company E Honor Guard of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as "The Old Guard," and was a sentinel at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Mike also obtained a White House Duty security clearance and was assigned to assist various officers as needed, attend military funerals, and to greet the caskets of servicemen returning from overseas.

After leaving the Army in 1978, he attended classes at the University of Maryland on and off while working. Mike was working for Computer Sciences Corporation at their DC area office and a co-worker set him up on a blind date with Amy Parker, who was working at the Atlanta CSC office and was in town for a workshop. They clicked from the start and began a long distance relationship that involved some extremely expensive long distance calls that started half a minute before the 11:00 PM night rate, and a lot of commuting.

In 1982, Mike moved to Atlanta and began working as an IT professional. He worked for National Data Corporation for 15 years, and then Pearl net, and was recently working for the State of Georgia in several departments to convert their data systems, which he thoroughly enjoyed.

Mike and Amy were married on February 14, 1985, at their home in Lithonia Georgia. They have two daughters. He enjoyed a life-long hobby as a rockhound, collecting many specimens in the field. Every summer for years the family would go to Little Switzerland, NC, and hunt for emeralds. Mike enjoyed being active at the neighborhood swim/tennis club, where he entertained many small children, who called him Santa Claus because of his white hair and beard. He was usually a winner in the contest to splash the most water out of the pool.

Mike was active in Corvette Atlanta starting in 1982 and was most recently the Webmaster for the group. For several years he and Amy and other club members worked at the Daytona 24-hour race as official IMSA pit marshalls. He never lost his love for rocks, and was putting together a collection of specimens representing as much of the periodic table as was a solid.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Marilyn and Leo Heaphy, and his brother John Heaphy. He is survived by his wife Amy Munn Parker, their daughters Megan Heaphy (Charlie Gibson), Kelly Heaphy (Mike Skeen), grandson Lucas Gibson, sisters Kathy Heaphy, Mary Heaphy Britt, Sheila Heaphy Henderson, brother Paul Heaphy, stepmother Linda Heaphy, and half-sisters Karen Heaphy and Dana Heaphy, and several nieces and nephews.

A visitation with family will be held from 1:00 PM -2:00 PM on, February 14, 2025, followed by a celebration of life at A. S. Turner & Sons, located at 2773 N. Decatur Rd. Decatur, Georgia 30033. Inurnment will take place at Arlington National Cemetery at a future date.

The family requests in lieu of flowers that you make a memorial donation in his memory to the charitable organization of your choice.