Former Delaware Valley Legacy Fund accountant Gene Heimers died Dec. 24 of a heart attack. He was 58.
Heimers, who was born Dec. 25, 1953, in Long Island, N.Y., was a longtime resident of Philadelphia. He earned degrees from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and from the Art Institute of Philadelphia. Heimers was also a longtime volunteer for the Mazzoni Center. Mazzoni director of development and marketing Perry Monastero said Heimers worked as an accountant part-time for DVLF, an LGBT grantmaking agency, for several years when Monastero was executive director. Monastero remembered Heimers for his one-of-a-kind personality. “He was a really remarkable person,” he said. “He had a charming laugh, a great sense of humor and was a very special person. He cared about all the people in his life.” Monastero said Heimers’ involvement in the LGBT community was very important to him and that he was eager to give back all he could to the community. At the time of his death, Heimers was self-employed as an accountant and bookkeeper for a number of area businesses, including digital-printing company Media Copy. Company owner Richard Lee agreed that Heimers was best known for his wit. “He was funny and had an amazing sense of humor.” Lee said he considered Heimers a kind, charitable and good friend and said he had the ability to connect with people. Trish Heimers Dantzic, Heimer’s sister, said her brother was a renaissance man. “There was nothing he could not do. He was a great cook, decorator, architectural designer and handyman. He was extremely creative, organized and detail-oriented,” she said. Dantzic also said her brother was a talented writer and public speaker. In addition, Heimers was very loyal, said Dantzic, noting there were friends at his memorial service last month who knew him since childhood. “His wit was amazing and he had a sense of justice and responsibility,” she added. A memorial service was held Dec. 30, and Heimers was buried at Holy Rood Cemetery in Westbury, N.Y. Heimers is survived by longtime partner Mark Smylie; mother Elizabeth Gloria Horan Heimers Keenan; sisters Dantzic, Elizabeth Heimers Garrity and Nancy Heimers DelaMotte; a number of nieces and nephews and great-nieces and nephews; and his dog, Elvis. Memorial donations can be made to Mazzoni Center, 21 S. 12th St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19107 or Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society, 100 N. Second St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19106.