Walter Thomas Heist, of Atlanta, Ga. passed away in the early morning hours of January 1, 2010. He was born on June 11, 1922 and was the eighth of eleven children born to August Heist of Germany and Nora Satterfield Heist of Cartersville, Ga. Walter, called Thomas as a boy and Buddy or Bud as an adult, graduated from Fulton High School. He served in the US Army during WWII and obtained the rank of M/Sgt in the177th Field Artillery Group traveling with the 4th Artillery Division and General Patton. While in the European Theater, he served in England, Germany, then Czechoslovakia, and France. After the war, Mr. Heist served in the US Naval Reserve in 1946 and then the US Army Reserve in 1952. He graduated from The University of Georgia (Georgia State) in June 1951. He worked at Armco Steel for 13 years in Atlanta and danced with the Southern Ballet Company. One of the highlights of his dancing career was performing the Nutcracker on the Fox stage as well as dancing various programs at Chastain. Mr. Heist moved to Conyers, Ga. with his life partner Weir Calloway, and started the plant nursery “Heistaway Gardens” and “Heistaway Farms” where they lived. Mr. Heist was highly regarded for his extensive knowledge of perennial flowers with clients such as Post Properties and Six Flags Amusement park as well as well as some of Atlanta’s finest garden designers such as Ryan Gainey. “Buddy was the person responsible for introducing many wonderful, popular plants to Atlanta’s gardening community, such as the New Dawn rose and Baby Lucia viola,” says Mr. Gainey. “He will forever be in the garden of our hearts.” Mr. Heist hosted many field trips for classes from the Georgia State Agricultural Department and also served as president of the Horticulture Society. “During his years in Conyers he and Weir hosted many wonderful Christmas parties,” says longtime friends Chip Johnston and Frank Monger. Mr. Heist was pre-deceased by Mr. Calloway in 1998 as well as his 10 siblings. He is survived by nephew Paul Heist and wife Sandra of Greensboro, NC, niece Susan Heist of California, nephew Mark Mayfield and wife Pam of Georgia and niece Victoria Heist and children of Georgia, Mary Beth Heist and son of Georgia, Shirley Thomas of Georgia, Dolly Vause, Shirley Dandelake, Joan Deadel, nephew Gordon Eason of Florida, niece Freddie H. Davis and sons of Georgia, and many great nephews and nieces. He is also survived by close friend Tom Bohn of Decatur, Ga. Visitations will be Tues. Jan. 5, 2010 from 2-4 and from 6-8 at A.S. Turner and Sons Funeral Home on N. Decatur Rd. in Decatur, Ga. The funeral service will be held on Wed. Jan. 6 at 11 am at the Funeral Home followed by burial with military honors at Hillandale Memorial Gardens in Lithonia, Ga. In lieu of flowers please make donations to Atlanta food bank. A. S. Turner & Sons
