More detail on this person: Lieutenant Colonel
C. Neal Heape, DDS, 70, of Sullivan, Indiana,
beloved husband and best friend of Ruth (Unger)
Heape for 48 years, passed away peacefully
surrounded by the ones he laughed with, lived for,
and loved on August 11, 2016. He was predeceased
by his parents Lester and Frieda Heape, his
brother Norman Heape, and his sister Jean (Heape)
Daugherty.
Neal was born in DuQuoin, Illinois on November
17th, 1945. His family moved to Sullivan, Indiana
where graduated from Sullivan High School in 1963
and lived most of his life. He attended Indiana
State University from 1963 to 1966. In October of
1966 he enlisted in the U.S. Army. He attended
basic training at Ft Polk, Louisiana, followed by
primary helicopter training and Warrant Officer
Candidate School at Ft Wolters, Texas. He received
advanced helicopter training at Ft Rucker,
Alabama, where he was awarded the wings of an
Army Helicopter Aviator. His first assignment as
an aviator was with the A Company, 227th Aviation
Battalion, Assault Helicopters, in the 1st Air
Cavalry Division in Vietnam. His duties there
included Aircraft Commander, Instructor Pilot, and
Fire Team Leader. During this combat tour, Dr.
Heape was promoted to Chief Warrant Officer. He
logged well over 1000 combat hours as an assault
helicopter pilot in support of 1st Cavalry
operations in Operation Byrd in Phan Thiet;
Operation Pershing in Bong Son and Landing Zone
English as well as the Tet 1968 Counter Offensive
at Hue and Phu Bai. He participated in relieving
the siege at Khe Sahn during Operation Pegasus
and in the A Shau Valley in Operation Delaware.
During this tour, he was awarded the Distinguished
Flying Cross for Heroism, the Bronze Star for
Meritorious Service and 36 Air Medals with two
awarded with the V Device for Valor. Upon
returning to the United States in 1968, and while
serving as a Crash Rescue/Training Officer, Neal
enrolled as a pre-dental student at IUPUI. He also
joined the Indiana Army National Guard where he
continued to serve his nation and state as a
helicopter pilot for the next twenty years,
participating in numerous disaster relief efforts.
During this time, he obtained his BA from IUPUI in
1973, and his DDS in 1977 from the I.U. School of
Dentistry. After achieving several awards and
accumulating over 3500 accident free hours, he
transferred to the Indiana Air National Guard in
1991, where served as a Dental Officer. He was
subsequently promoted to Base Dental Surgeon
where he was responsible for monitoring the dental
health and readiness of over 1200 members of the
181st fighter Wing, Terre Haute, IN. As a member
of the 181st Medical Squadron, Dr. Heape was a
member of "Care Force" a joint civilian/military
effort to provide free immunizations, vision and
dental screening exams for medically underserved
populations in five Indiana counties.
In his nearly forty years as a family practice
dentist, Dr. Heape managed to balance the
responsibilities of husband, father, dentist,
citizen soldier, and community leader. His
community involvement varied from elementary
"room father", Little League coach of ten years,
Elks Exalted Ruler, numerous veteran and civic
organizations, counselor for the Boy Scouts
"Dental Merit Badge", host for several pre-school
and Head Start dental office visits, supervisory
dentist for an IUSD Hygiene sealant program at
Carlisle Elementary School and along with fellow
Sullivan dentists provided free dental screening
exams at the county Senior Centers. He held
leadership positions as President of the City Park
Board, President of the Sullivan Planning
Commission, and President of the Sullivan City
Council. Dr. Heape's educational efforts and
leadership abilities succeeded in passing a
resolution to fluoridate the water supply for the
City of Sullivan and surrounding area, making it
possible for an additional 7,000 plus Indiana
residents to enjoy the benefits of better dental
health. Dr. Heape was then elected Mayor of
Sullivan in November 1999 and also served two
terms on the Indiana State Dental Board;
continuing to be of service to his community.
In December of 2015, Neal was awarded the
Sagamore of the Wabash, the highest award given
by the Governor, in recognition of his service to
State and Country. Neal loved the beach and spent
many wonderful vacations there with his wife and
family. He was a beloved grandfather and
"Pawpaw", his grandchildren bringing him
tremendous pride and joy. He also loved attending
the Indianapolis 500, a tradition he passed onto
his kids and grandkids, and rooting for his
Indiana Hoosiers.
Besides his wife Ruth, Neal is survived by his two
sons Aaron Heape (Michelle) of Pelham, Alabama,
and Ryan Heape (Laura) of Indianapolis and his
daughter Angie Brocksmith (Baron) of Sullivan; his
grandchildren, Isabella, Walker, Olivia, Aidan,
Weston and Katherine; his sister Midge (Heape)
Graeff of Murphysboro, IL as well as numerous
nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends.
The family would like to express their sincere
gratitude to the doctors and nurses at Sullivan
County Community Hospital. Their dedication and
effort to provide quality care were a heartwarming
blessing to the entire family. We thank God for
the gift of his life and the blessing of the time
we spent with him.
Services for Neal will be at 11:00 a.m. on Monday,
August 15, 2016 at Holmes Memorial Chapel, 642
West Silver Street, Sullivan. Reverend David Cox
officiating. Visitation will be on Sunday from
2-6:00 p.m. Military services will be given by the
Hymera, Shelburn, Sullivan American Legion's and
the Sullivan VFW post. Burial will be in Center
Ridge Cemetery.
This information was last updated 08/14/2016
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