Jack Heuback

Jack Heuback, 86, of Winfield passed away peacefully Sunday, March 29, 2020 at Overland Park Regional Medical Center.

Private graveside services will take place at the Winfield Veterans’ Cemetery. A public viewing will be held from 12-6 P.M. Sunday, April 5 at the Shelley Family Funeral Home of Winfield. Memorial contributions may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, contributions may be left in care of the funeral home.

Born on July 24, 1933 in the countryside of Viola, Kansas to parents George and Marjorie (Troyer) Heuback. He attended West Union Rural School near Sedgwick, Kansas until his sophomore year when he quit school to start working. He worked various jobs in Wichita until joining the Navy in March 1951. After boot camp he was stationed at the Naval Air Station Cabaniss Field in Corpus Christi, Texas where he spent two years being an airplane jockey. During that time, he joined the Catholic Church and received his high school diploma through the GED program at Sedgwick Public School. In 1953 Jack was reassigned to sea duty aboard the aircraft carrier Franklin D. Roosevelt until April 1954, during that time he traveled up and down the Atlantic coast and spent six months on the Mediterranean Sea. He returned stateside and was on-board for a trip around South America, visiting each of the countries touching the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The ship sailed to Bremerton, Washington where it was decommissioned for updating, it was there Jack was discharged from the Navy.

 Jack returned to Wichita and worked mainly for a freight company delivering freight. He met his wife Colleen Pyles during this time, they were married on May 28, 1955. Just before their first child was born, Jack joined the Air Force where he spent the next seventeen plus years. During his tour with the Air Force he was stationed twice at McConnell AFB in Wichita, Kansas; Torrejon Air Base in Madrid, Spain; Johnson Family Housing Annex in Tokyo, Japan; Loring Air Force Base in Limestone, Maine and Ton Son Nhut Air Base in Saigon, Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City). He returned to Loring Air Base and served two more years until he retired from the Air Force.

After serving over 20 years in the Air Force, Jack moved his family to Canon City, Colorado, then to Goodland, Kansas; Hillsboro, Kansas; Anadarko, Oklahoma; and then back to Kansas. During this time he served as a Budget and Accounting officer for Freemont County, Colorado; as City Clerk in Florence, Colorado; as City Administrator in Goodland, Kansas; Hillsboro, Kansas; and Anadarko, Oklahoma. Jack then changed professions and worked for Farmers and Merchants State Bank in Argonia, Kansas for eight years, after that he worked as HR manager at Lamar Electro Air Corp. in Wellington, Kansas until he retired in 1996.

During Jack’s military career he was awarded the Air Force Commendation medal on three different occasions.  He was also awarded the European Occupation Medal, Good Conduct medals from the Navy and Air Force, Vietnam Service medals as well as other service medals. Jack was also inducted into the Navy’s long-time tradition of “Shellback” for crossing the equator, and “Horned Shellback” for going around the “horn” of South America. During his military service, Jack served the military Chaplaincy as a “Chaplain Services Specialist.” After his retirement, Jack was active in the Catholic Church in every community he lived in. His last service to the church was at Holy Name Catholic Church of Winfield.

Jack is survived by his loving wife of 64 years and 10 months, Colleen Heuback; children: Terry Heuback, Wayne Heuback and wife Sherry, Mike Heuback and wife Jean, Wade Heuback, Joleen Hardgrove and husband Fred; grandchildren: Chris, Roger, Charlotte, Megan, Chad, Karen, and Preston; as well as many great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren; siblings Kathy Harrison, Judy Adamic, and Vicki Edwards. He is preceded in death by his parents, sister Lois, brother Bob and grandson Tony.

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