Tamera “Tammy” Kay Heilman, 66, of Aberdeen, SD, passed away unexpectedly of natural causes on Saturday, January 24, 2026. Leaving behind a legacy of love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness, she will be remembered most for her gentle nature, artistic gifts, and unwavering devotion to her family.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 31, 2026, at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Aberdeen, with Father Jordan Samson officiating.

Burial will be at St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery following the service.

A time for fellowship and luncheon will be at the parish hall following the burial.

Visitation will be 5-7 p.m., Friday, January 30, at Schriver's Memorial Chapel with a 7:00 p.m. wake service. Visitation continues one hour before the service at the church.

Schriver’s Memorial Mortuary and Crematory, 414 5th Avenue NW, Aberdeen, is honored to serve the Heilman family. Family and friends may sign the online guestbook at www.schriversmemorial.com.

Tammy was born on September 4, 1959, to Orville and Donna (Craig) Bahr, and was baptized into the Christian faith at St. John’s Lutheran Church. The second youngest of eight children, she was raised on the family farm north of Groton. Her childhood was filled with adventures she shared with her siblings and many cousins. Tammy attended Groton High School and graduated in 1977. Her education continued at Northern State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Education, with an emphasis in accounting. She spent her first few years after college with Aman Collection before returning to Northern in the Finance Office as a Program Assistant focusing on Federal Perkins Loans. In June of 2023, Tammy retired after 38 years of service. Since then, Tammy has been able to magnify the time spent with her beloved husband, children, and granddaughters.

While in college, Tammy spent her summers working at 3M. It was there that she met the love of her life, Vern Heilman. They were united in marriage on June 25th, 1983, and together were blessed with the gift of two children, a daughter, Sarah, and a son, Kevin. As a longtime member of the St. Mary’s Parish, she was steadfast in her Catholic faith. Tammy was delighted to be able to share the joy of the Mass with her granddaughters weekly.

In the summertime, the Heilmans enjoyed traveling as a family to the Black Hills. They often returned to Sylvan Lake, where she once spent a summer working at the resort, to enjoy hiking and time by the water. Tammy had a deep reverence for nature and found ways to also cherish God’s creation close to home. She loved to watch wildlife from her kitchen window and found hopefulness in the peonies and tulips that showed up after a long winter.

She enjoyed taking daily walks, usually accompanied by her husband, daughter, son, or granddaughters - but almost always her little dog Chandler. Tammy loved to take the trail to Wylie Park, where she was particularly fond of the turtles that sat along the rocks. She would joyfully pause to watch them, mirroring their stillness. Although her habit of walking evolved over her lifetime to accommodate the changing dynamics of her family, her intention to use walking as a time of connection did not. Tammy walked not only to connect with her loved ones but also to reflect and draw nearer to her faith.

Tammy had a servant heart that was always seeking to comfort and make things better for others. Her warm smile could brighten any day, and she could mend nearly anything with her hands and heart. She made it a point to live out the words of Mother Teresa, “do small things with great love,” and made ordinary moments feel special with the gift of her full presence. Whether she was creating craft projects with her grandchildren or spending countless uninterrupted hours putting puzzles together with family, these moments were filled with playful banter and meal planning to deeper conversations about life, faith, and the future.

She brought magic to holidays and times of celebration, often baking personalized cakes and desserts to honor the occasion. Anyone who had Tammy’s blonde brownies was sure not to forget them. Her planning and gift of organization made get-togethers unfussy, and she managed to do it in a way that seemed effortless. The gifts she gave often entailed countless hours of creation, a reflection of her conviction that time is our greatest gift to each other.

Simple joys of Tammy’s life included a hot cup of black coffee, a sunrise, a cozy robe, and the song of birds in the morning. Tammy’s greatest joy was the treasure of her family. Her love was tangible in the way she was present for all of life’s moments, big and small, in the wings to guide, on the sidelines to cheer, and behind the scenes to comfort and encourage. She will continue in the hearts of all who loved her, as a companion for the journey home.

Grateful for the blessing of her life and who yearn to have shared more time are her husband of 42 years, Vern; her daughter Sarah (Erik) Poe, and their three daughters, Emma, Audrey, and Merritt; son Kevin Heilman; her siblings, Bonnie (Alan) Nierman, Patty (Wayne) Hein, Loren Bahr, Lonny (Brenda) Bahr; sister-in-law, Linda Bahr; and many nieces, nephews, and friends.

She also had a special, loving relationship with her extended family: Kathy (Bob) Quam, brothers-in-law Gene (Myrna) Heilman, Jack (Linda) Heilman, Rosemary Oleson, Wayne Heilman, and Harlan (Barb) Heilman, as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Orville and Donna Bahr; siblings James Bahr, Doug (Pam) Bahr, and Larry Bahr.

Tammy’s sending for us comes from Ephesians 4:32: “Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”