Morris Rudy Heinzen
January 26, 1940 — October 16, 2013
Morris Rudy Heinzen, 73, of Aberdeen, passed away Wednesday, October 16, 2013, at Avera St. Luke's Hospital in Aberdeen.
His memorial service will be 11:00 a.m., Monday, October 21, 2013, at Schriver's Memorial Mortuary and Crematory, 414 5th Avenue NW, Aberdeen with Pastor Eldon Reich, of First United Methodist Church, officiating. It was Morris' wishes to be cremated with interment taking place at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Aberdeen. A luncheon and time of fellowship will immediately follow the service at Schriver's Memorial Fellowship Center.
Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the mortuary on Monday. Friends may sign his online guestbook at www.schriversmemorial.com.
The family requests no flowers or memorials be given.
Morris Rudy Heinzen was born on January 26, 1940, in Redfield, South Dakota to Percy and Edna Elizabeth (Morris) Heinzen. He graduated from Frederick High School in the spring of 1958 and graduated from South Dakota State University, in Brookings, SD, with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (BSC) in 1963. After working for approximately ten years, Morris returned to graduate school at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY from 1972 to 1974. After his thesis was accepted by the faculty, he received a Master of Science (MS) degree in Geodetic and Photogrammetric Engineering in 1978.
After a very short period with the South Dakota State Highway Department in 1963, he began his long-term 43-year career with the U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO) in 1963 as a Civil Engineer then later becoming a Physical Scientist working in the field of Hydrographic Surveying, in Nautical Charting, and in Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis. During his career he has conducted and participated in hydrographic surveys for nautical charting purposes along the coasts of Egypt, Greece, Korea, Panama, Philippines, Taiwan, Hawaii and along the Coasts of the United States and its territories. He has conducted surveys in the approaches to both the Panama and Suez Canals.
Morris met his wife, Socorro "Tina" Paredes from Manila, Philippines in Cebu City, after her return from a European tour via Mexico. At the time, Tina was working at the Swedish Embassy, Manila. Morris would visit her whenever the Oceanographic Office hydrographic survey ship he was aboard imported in the Philippines during the Vietnam War period. Morris was united in marriage to Socorro on July 12, 1969. The couple shared 43 years of marriage before he passed away.
When NAVOCEANO relocated to the National Space Technologies Laboratory (NSTL), which later became Stennis Space Center (Stennis) in Mississippi, the Heinzens moved too. After he retired in 2005, he and his wife returned to Aberdeen in May of 2006, about eight months after Hurricane Katrina.
Morris was a member of the following professional organizations: American Society of Civil Engineers, American Congress on Survey and Mapping and the American Society of Photogrammetry. He was a member of various Masonic organizations including: a 50-year member of Slidell (Louisiana) Lodge No. 311, F. & A.M., an Aberdeen member of Sunrise Lodge No. 211, A.F. & A.M., York Rite and a 32nd Degree KCCH member of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. He was also a member of the O.E.S. with Lake Shore Chapter No. 59 in Slidell, Louisiana and Minerva Chapter No. 5 in Aberdeen.
Morris is survived by his wife, Socorro "Tina" of Aberdeen; one brother, Larrie G. (Patricia) Heinzen of Minneapolis, MN; two nieces, Sundraya Heinzen-Kase and Megan Heinzen, both of Minneapolis, MN; grand-nephews: Joseph, Thomas, Patrick and William Kase and Konrad Heinzen-Aiello; three sisters-in-law, Milagros Paredes Gonzalez of Markham, Ontario, Connie Paredes Goodman of Westport, Connecticut, and Josefina Pratts Paredes of Kingston, Ontario; one nephew-in-law, Antonio Paredes of Kingston, Ontario; four nieces-in-law, Maria Teresa Paredes Gonzalez of Toronto, Ontario , Rosanna Paredes of Toronto, Ontario, Milagros Paredes of Chelsea, Michigan, and Joselina Paredes of Westport, Connecticut; one grand nephew-in-law, Joseph Paredes Gleespin of Chelsea, Michigan; and two grand nieces-in-law, Raquel Paredes of Kingston, Ontario and Rayna Paredes Pearlson of Toronto, Ontario.
Morris' parents preceded him in death.