Albert Joseph (Bert) Heister, 92, died at Palm Garden Nursing Home in Vero Beach, on Friday, June 26, 2009, just before 5 p.m. having completed a full day’s work. He was born Nov. 8, 1916, in Washington, D.C., to Michael and Stella Heister. One of seven children, he was predeceased by his parents and his Aunt Addie who helped raise the family; his brothers and sisters Michael, Margaret (Sr. Melathon), John, Paul, Paul and Mary. Survivors include his wife of almost 27 years, Geraldin; his son, Albert Joseph (A.J.) Heister, Jr., of Vero Beach; his daughters, Phyllis Lynne (Jim) Andersen, of Orange City, Fla., Mary Elizabeth Heister, of North Palm Beach, and Cecilia (William C.) Mitchell, of Vienna, Va.; his sister, Stella, of Washington, D.C.; grandsons, Gary (Holly) Bilbro; Michael and Andrew Hudson; granddaughters, Debbie Chewning, Christine Billbro, Amanda (John) Vetter, Karly (David) Miller; five great-grandchildren; as well as nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews too numerous to list but very much loved.A member of this country’s Greatest Generation, he served in the U.S. Army from Aug. 6, 1941, until Sept. 26, 1945, with stateside duty in Washington and California, and overseas duty in North Africa and Italy. He married Elizabeth Gary in Seattle, Wa., on April 2, 1942. She predeceased him on Sept. 3, 2000. Bert worked until he was 90 having had a variety of careers – as a boy delivering dress patterns by bicycle to dressmakers in Washington, D.C., soda jerk, and later as a paper products salesman; auto mechanic; insurance salesman/regional manager and insurance risk manager.He loved boating and spent many years sailing the Chesapeake. He could build things and fix them in his own special way dubbed “Heisterizing” by his family. He was a member of St. Helen Church and served for a number of years as an Usher at the 7:30 a.m. Sunday Mass. A Memorial Mass to celebrate the life of Bert Heister will be held at St. Helen Church on Saturday, July 11, at 2 p.m. with a reception in the parish hall to follow. His ashes will be interred at Crestlawn Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Helen Church, VNA/Hospice of Indian River County, or a charity of your choosing. Arrangements are by All County Funeral Home and Crematory of Stuart, Florida.
