Lieutenant Commander Richard (Rick) Heidel

Lieutenant Commander Richard (Rick) Heidel, 37, departed our world on September 27, 2019. Rick was born to Peg Odling Tulley and the late R. Scott Heidel on January 18, 1982. He was currently stationed at King’s Bay Naval Base in St. Mary’s, Georgia where he was serving as Navigator on the USS Alaska Blue. Previously he served on the USS City of Corpus Christi and as Engineer on the USS Cheyenne. Rick graduated from Boylan Catholic High School in 2000 and after receiving his Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from the University of Illinois, he decided to enlist in the Navy as a submariner.

Rick was most proud of being a father (Dada) to his twin sons, Sebastian and Rylan (3 ½) and cherished his time with them. He loved meeting people and would instantly form a bond. His easy smile and engaging personality made him a very memorable person-fun-loving, mischievous and often the life of the party with his laughter filling the room. As a friend he was loyal and caring and as an officer in the US Navy he was a respected leader and mentor. He was a father, son, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin and grandson and an absolute anchor in our family.

Rick was a sports fan, mostly Chicago Bears and Cubs, as well as a talented football player and track runner. He enjoyed boating, golfing, playing his guitar and was a true movie buff. His favorite place was Glen Lake in Empire, MI. His final resting place will be there with his dad.

Rick is survived by his sons, Rylan and Sebastian (Nicole Maurice); mom, Peg Odling Tulley; step-father, Joseph Tulley; brothers, David (Elizabeth Latorre) Heidel and Jeff (Cassandra) Heidel; step-sister, Erin Tulley (Paul) Jurevicius; step-brother, Joe (Rachel) Tulley; grandmother, Bev Odling; step-sisters, Julia and Whitney Waldsmith; step-mom, Kady Derry Hevrin; several adoring nieces and nephews; numerous Heidel and Odling cousins, aunts and uncles - most notably his dearest cousin and best friend, Lauren (Eddie) Latimer.

Memorial service for Rick will be held at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 7, 2019 at Fitzgerald Funeral Home & Crematory, 1860 S. Mulford Road, Rockford, IL with a visitation to begin from 3:00p.m. until time of service. Memorial donations can be made on behalf of Rick’s sons to the Rick Heidel Memorial Fund (Dave Odling or Peg Tulley) through Blackhawk Bank. The Navy honored Rick with a beautiful tribute on King’s Naval Base on October 8th. To express condolences or share memories please visit www.fitzgeraldfh.com