Helen Heckman

Helen L. “Dolly” Heckman, of Woodlyn, Pa passed away peacefully on February 11, 2020. She was the wife of the late Roy F. Heckman and daughter of the Peter & Helen R. (nee Ennis) Roos, and stepdaughter to the late Ernest Babe. Dolly was the mother of Duane Heckman (Beth) and the late Darryl & Dale Heckman. She was the adoring grandmother of Chris Heckman (Jill), Darren Heckman and Dana Sinno , as well as great grandmother to Delaney & Cooper Heckman and Mia, Noelle & Luca Sinno.

As a young housewife, Dolly enjoyed making jewelry. She purchased raw semi-precious gemstones and polished them to make pendants, rings and earrings. She collected shells, minerals and fossils with Duane, and supported his participation in local geology clubs. The family spent summers at their bungalow in the Villas, NJ – watching the birds at the sanctuary, visiting the Cape May Zoo or sitting by the ferry or lake at Cape May Point. She loved her pet cats and Pomeranian dogs, and fed the feral cat colonies in the Villas or locally.

Dolly loved to cook and had an extensive collection of cookware and cookbooks. She watched the QVC cooking segments and often said she could read a recipe and know exactly how it would taste. She grew tomatoes and herbs in a small garden to use in her dishes.

She supported her husband Roy in activities with the Masons and Nur Temple Shrine, as well as the VFW and Veteran’s efforts to honor Darryl’s service in the US Army. Prior to her recent illness, she was a resident at Springfield Senior Commons at Harlee Manor.

A celebration of Dolly’s life will be held Sunday, March 1 in the Rutledge Community Hall 212 Unity Terrace Rutledge, Pa 19070. Visitation will be from 1pm-3 pm with a short ceremony and sharing memories at 2 pm. Parking is available at Chambers Presbyterian Church, 2 East Sylvan Ave.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to care for cats – big & small at Cat NIP (no kill rescue) P.O. Box 284 Springfield, Pa 19064 (http://catniprescue.org/) or Cape May County Zoo Society P.O. Box 864 Cape May Court House, NJ 08210 (http://www.capemayzoosociety.org/uploads/1/2/7/3/127349916/donation_letter_2019.pdf