Richard E. Heilstedt

HEILSTEDT, RICHARD E., November 22, 2023. Beloved husband of Margaret (Diem) for 66 years until her death in January of 2022. Dearest father of Richard (Jen Meagher) and Debbie (Ron) Desjardins. Loving grandpa of Derek and Crystal (Rickie) Elkins. Doting great-grandpa of Faith Margaret. Richard E. Heilstedt (“Dick”) was born in Detroit on February 20, 1931 to Loretta and Elmer Heilstedt. Dick attended Fitzgerald elementary school for kindergarten and Gesu Catholic School for first grade. After moving in 1938, Dick attended Precious Blood Catholic School for the remainder of his elementary and junior high school years. Dick’s brother Gerald was born on February 15, 1940, when Dick was nine years old. Dick said it was quite a change because he now had to share things, but he got used to it, even with the dirty diapers he had to change. Sister Sandra was born on April 29, 1942 – Dick - “yay, more dirty diapers”. Despite the dirty diapers, Dick and his siblings and parents were very close. Holidays were big in Dick’s family. Dick would recall that he always fell on Halloween and would spill his candy. On Christmas, after the excitement of opening gifts, Dick would inevitably get sick and spend the rest of the day lying on the couch looking at the Christmas tree. Dick remembered one Christmas laying on the couch in his new cowboy suit eating chicken noodle soup. Easter was always another big day. The family always had an egg hunt in the backyard. After Dick got bigger, he would do the hiding for his brother and sister. Another fond memory of Dick’s was annual trips to St. Louis to see family. Loretta, Dick, Jerry and Sandi would travel by bus or train and Elmer would drive down a while later and they would all come back together. After graduating from Precious Blood in June, 1945, Dick attended Redford high school. During the summer of 1945 Dick got his first job at a little grocery store; he started paying room and board thereafter. Dick also worked at Wrigley’s Supermarket, Greenfield’s Restaurant, Hallmark Service Systems and finally Chrysler Corp., working in the mailroom. It was while Dick was working at Chrysler that he was drafted into the Army. In December of 1951, Dick went to Fort Riley, Kansas for his basic training and it was on to Korea. Dick served on the front lines in Korea for nine months for the 9 th Infantry, earning the Korean Service Medal with two Bronze Campaign Stars, the United Nations Service Medal and the Combat Infantry Badge. Upon returning home, Dick served his final time in the Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, after which he was honorably discharged as a Corporal on September 4, 1953. Shortly after his return from service, on September 20, 1953, a very good friend got Dick a blind date with Margaret Ann Diem. They went to a Chrysler picnic and a show. Dick says he knew from that first date that Margaret was the girl for him. He told his friend – “boy she has got shiny eyes. It looks like they have stars in them!” Dick was twenty-two and Margaret was eighteen. During this time Dick started working for WJBK-TV as a driver where he worked his way up to film director. Dick retired from WJBK-TV Channel 2 in 1993. The Channel 2 Teamwas a second family to Dick and Margaret and the friendships and bonds they made there lasted for the rest of their lives. Dick proposed to Margaret on her 19th birthday – July 23, 1954. After dinner at the Sea Food Grotto, they went for a drive and after a few miles, Dick pulled off on a side road, pulled a little white box out of his coat pocket and asked her to be his wife. They were married on August 6, 1955, in St. Mary’s of Redford Church. They honeymooned in Northern Michigan for two weeks. They first lived in a 3½ room upper income on Freeland Avenue in Detroit and then moved into their “starter” home in Dearborn Heights in January, 1958, where they continued to live until Dick’s passing. In March of 1966, they welcomed son Richard Michael aka “Dickie” into their family. Daughter Deborah Ann “Debbie” became a part of family two years later. When he wasn’t working, Dick enjoyed sports. He played racquetball on Thursdays, was in a golf league and played softball on the WJBK-TV Channel 2 softball team. Dick was also very involved in St. Linus Church. He was a member of the Dad’s Club when Dickie and Debbie were students there. He also set up and ran the initial video system at the Church enabling the taping of mass for others to view. In 1987, Dick and Margaret became grandparents for the first time when Dickie, now known as Richard, graced them with a grandson, Derek; Debbie brought their granddaughter, Crystal, into the world that same year. Dick and Margaret were fortunate enough to be able to winter down in the Destin area of Florida for close to 25 years where they enjoyed golf and meeting new friends, as well as being active in the local church, St. Rita’s. Dick enjoyed his Manhattans and in later years, when the hard stuff was against the rules, he was known to throw back a Bud Light or two – every day. Beer was a shared love of both Dick and Margaret. Even after 66 years of marriage, Dick and Margaret never lost their love for each other and were smooching ‘til the end when she passed in January of 2022. On March 28, 2023, Dick became a great-grandpa; Crystal and her husband Rickie had a baby girl and named her Faith Margaret. Dick was over-the-moon in love with Faith and covered her in smooches every time he could. After it became clear that their “starter home” on Richardson which they bought in 1958 was to be their forever home, Dick was known to say that he would never leave there and they would be taking him out in a pine box. It wasn’t a pine box, but Dick died peacefully in his Lazy Boy. In the words of his favorite singer Frank Sinatra, he did it his way. He will be greatly missed. Memorial Visitation Thursday at 10 am at St. Linus Church until time of Memorial Mass at 10:30 am. Dick will be laid to rest with full military honors along with Margaret on June 14, at 12:30 pm at Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly, Michigan. Both Dick and Margaret donated to various charities throughout their lives. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to one or more of their favorites: a Veterans charity, The Alzheimer's Association, Gleaners Foodbank, American Macular Degeneration Foundation.