- Date Of Birth: June 11, 1932
- Date Of Death: July 11, 2021
- State: Illinois
Doris passed away peacefully on July 11, 2021, at the Franklin Grove Nursing Home after a short illness.
Doris was born in Thanet, Kent, England to William and Ellen (Euden) Belsey on June 11, 1932. She had a brother William and half-siblings Reginald, Charles, and George Grainger.
When the war broke out and England was being bombed Doris and her brother, William, were sent to the county to the Rutledge Family Farm to keep them safe. When the war was over Doris and her brother returned to Ramsgate, England where she took care of her ailing mother. In March 1953 she married Dean Heckman, an Air Force soldier stationed in Ramsgate. When Dean’s tour was over, they came to Illinois. They settled in Ashton where Dean started his Plumbing and Electrical Business.
Doris was the typical housewife but was also by her husband’s side helping with his business whenever she could. It was her love of children that prompted her to become a Day Care Provider for many years. She cared for grandkids, great-grandkids, and many others. She became known as Grandma Doe to many. Together Dean and Doris loved watching them in all their sporting, school, and church activities. Later Doris was the custodian of the Ashton United Methodist Church for 25 years.
Doris was a kind and loving person who was always willing to help out wherever she was needed. She was famous at the Church’s dinners for her spaghetti casserole which disappeared quickly.
Dean and Doris shared 61 years of marriage before his death in 2014. They returned to England four times and loved traveling. They visited family and friends in Arizona, Virginia, and Texas. Doris also loved camping and gardening, but most of all she loved her family which included many pet dogs through the years.
Doris was an active member of the Ashton United Methodist Church, Ladies VFW Auxiliary, American Legion, and the Ashton Business Boosters.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Dean; her parents; her siblings William, Reginald, Charles, George; Son-in-law, Larry Fisher; and Brother-in-law, Ronald Heckman.
Doris is survived by her children: Sandra (Donald) Stover, of Ashton, Edward (Penny) Heckman of Peoria, Arizona, and Diane (Bryan) Mammen of Ashton; 10 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren; Brother-in-Law, Melvin (Phyllis) Heckman of Florida; Sisters-in-law, Donna (Dick) Stahler of Virginia and Melba (Ronald) Heckman of St. Louis, Mo; And many nieces and nephews in England and the United States.
