Leo William Heimerl
Leo was born on the East Side of Saint Paul to parents, Leo and Regina Heimerl joining siblings Ronald, Gerald and Joan. He was an active member with Sacred Heart Church and school and loved playing basketball, bowling and pin setting and playing guitar and singing in his band, The Sands of Time, as a youth. He was passionate about The Beatles and old-time twangy country music. He was an avid card player and spent many hours with family playing 500 or cribbage. His kids will tell you with frustration that he won far more than he ever lost at cribbage and seemed to be able to not only know what you had in your hand, but what you would play.
Leo went to the University of Minnesota and obtained his degree in Business Administration. Keen to math and numbers, he worked in banking, real estate and parish administration in the Archdiocese of St Paul/Minneapolis where he was a lifelong member. He was proud to serve on the Sacred Heart parish council and finance committee and served on the board of directors of the Sacred Heart Credit Union. He worked for many years self-employed in construction building, problem solving, beautifying and creating homes and business around the community.
When he wasnât working at his profession, Leo could be found on the front porch sipping a drink and spending time with his family, playing video poker or, whenever he could, he was in Nestor Falls, Ontario where his heart resided. His Canadian âfamily,â the Helliars, were a pivotal part of his life for close to five decades and he always said he worked hard all year to get himself back there. He was an avid hunter and fisherman and loved Scooter, the boat he refurbished/rebuilt and cherished for more than 40 years. He loved hosting fireworks parties at his home in Wilson, WI and was always ready to sit down with friends or family for conversation.
Leo is preceded in death by his parents Leo and Regina (Semrau) Heimerl and his brother Ron, sisters-in-law Joann Heimerl and Dorothy Heimerl and brother-in-law George Raasch. He is survived by his wife Linda (Timm), 8 children â Chad Heimerl, Tracy (Jimmy) Olichwier, Courtney Heimerl, Galen (Chrissy) Heimerl, Heidi Steffens (Tim Donahue), Matt (Carine) Steffens, Shannon (Ben) Davis and Joe (Kelly) Steffens; 15 grandchildren: Joshua, Katelyn, Meghan, Molly, & Henry Collins, Meredith and Spencer Olichwier, Kendall Johnson & Camdyn Barnes, Harvey & Dorothy Heimerl, Lilah, Emmett and Alaine Davis, Keegan Donahue, and many nieces and nephews and extended family and cherished friends.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. John Neumann Catholic Church, 4030 Pilot Knob Road, Eagan, Minnesota 55122, on Tuesday, October 5, at 10 AM with Visitation beginning at 9AM. Burial will be at Forest Lawn Cemetery in St Paul, Minnesota, on Tuesday, October 12, at 10:30 AM.