John S. Heyde
July 17, 1934 ~ December 17, 2014
John S. Heyde, Jr. CDR/USN/ RET, passed away on December 17, 2014 at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center concluding a 6.5 year heroic battle with metastatic melanoma.
He was born on July 17 1934, son of the late John and Lillian Heyde of Baltimore, MD.
He attended the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, finishing first in his class in the Advanced College Preparatory Course and won a Maryland congressional and a senatorial appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy. In 1957, he graduated with high distinction with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and married Cynthia Hanson of West Hartford, CT, his "one and only" during his last three years at the USNA and for the remainder of his life. He completed Basic Navy flight training at Pensacola, FL then moved on to Corpus Christi, TX where he received his Navy Wings.
In 1958 he joined VP-22, his first operational squadron, while it was deployed to Kodiak, Alaska. He then returned to the squadron's home port at Naval Air Station Barber's Point, Hawaii and over the next three years he became Patrol Plane Commander deploying to Japan for two six month assignments plus many other Pacific area missions of operation. In 1962 was ordered to attend the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) at Wright Patterson AFB, Dayton, OH, as an exchange student with the U.S. Air Force, and graduated in 1964 with a M.S. in Astronautics, changing his status from unrestricted line officer to Aeronautical Engineering Duty Officer. His next assignment brought him to the Washington, D.C. area where he and his family would settle in McLean, VA for the next 50 years.
From 1964 -1967 he worked at the Pentagon in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) as a coordinator of various Navy space programs such as ocean surveillance, meteorology, navigation and bomb damage assessment. During that time he authored documents which consolidated operation requirements from many fragmented users and translated these requirements into technical criteria for space vehicles. He also represented the Navy in several Joint Chiefs of Staff actions, as well as personally advising the Chief of Naval Operations on recommended courses of actions for Navy space activities.
He then again was selected for Navy post graduate education and temporarily relocated to attend Harvard Business School in Boston, MA. He graduated in 1969 with an MBA and returned to naval assignment at the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIRSYSCOM) in Washington, DC. Here he served as Deputy Program Manager for an overhead reconnaissance satellite system for which he had written the requirements while previously stationed at the Pentagon.
Next he was selected to be a DoD staff member to the National Aeronautics and Space Council at the Executive Office of the President where he prepared recommendations for national policy including authoring a plan on the economic and military advantages of a commercial sales program to recover research investments for U.S. aerospace products. In 1973 he once again returned to NAVAIRSYSCOM as Deputy Program Manager with a special emphasis on introducing the Harpoon missile to our allies and making it a standard NATO weapon system.
In 1975 he was requested by the Secretary of Defense to join his staff as the Deputy to the Assistant Secretary of Defense. In this new capacity, a role reversal, he was involved in searching out foreign technology from NATO allies which could be utilized by U.S. Armed Forces and, in 1977, retired from this position and the Navy. During his Navy career he was awarded the Joint Service Commendation and Meritorious Service Medals.
In a full second career after his military retirement he worked as Executive Vice President of Astro-Tec, a small aeronautical consulting company located in Alexandria, VA, where he was instrumental in working with a team of leading defense contractors and was recognized as helping to solve a primary safety flight issue with the F-14 Tomcat fighter plane. He retired in 1997.
He was an avid supporter of several aviation organizations including the Association of Naval Aviation (ANA) and the Daedalians. While on Active Duty, he was a Director of the National Association of Uniform Services (NAUS) and a Director of the Army Navy Town Club. After retirement he stayed active in several other clubs and organizations including holding the offices of Vice President and Director for the Defense Orientation Conference Association (DOCA) and also Treasurer of the DOCA Defense Fund. He also served as President for the NOL flying club, was a member of Congressional Country Club and reached the 10 Gallon milestone as a blood donor.
His passion for airplanes and flying did not stop even after logging more than 2, 400 hours of pilot time with experience in T-34, T-38, SNB, S-2, P-2, F-9, and U3A aircraft as well as holding a commercial pilot's license. He also became an avid collector of desk top airplane models, not the kind he would build but those that Grumman or Lockheed would make for display purposes. He donated his collection of more than 2, 400 airplane models to the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum which are on display at the Udvar-Hazy Center and donated his vast Aviation library to the Association of Naval Aviation.
During his business career he crossed the Atlantic over 80 times and especially loved touring Europe. He was a master at making and maintaining worldly friendships, wherever he traveled he made friends and wherever he had friends he traveled. He said if he were to plan a life and a career it would be just as he lived it.
He leaves behind the love of his life and wife of more than 57 years, Cynthia H. Heyde, a daughter Lisa Sullivan, a son-in-law Tim Sullivan, and grandsons Jack and Ryan Sullivan. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Deborah Heyde; his brother, Donald Heyde; and sister Elaine Manager.
A private viewing was held for immediate family members and a memorial service and ceremony will be held at Ft. Myer Old Post Chapel on Monday, April 13 at 1 p.m. Please arrive to the Chapel at 12:45 p.m. Interment with full military honors will follow at Arlington National Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, please make a contribution in his honor to Warrior Care Connection at 23222 Georgia Avenue, Brookeville, MD 20833
Funeral Home:
Money & King Funeral Home
171 W. Maple Ave.
Vienna, VA
US 22180
He was born on July 17 1934, son of the late John and Lillian Heyde of Baltimore, MD.
He attended the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, finishing first in his class in the Advanced College Preparatory Course and won a Maryland congressional and a senatorial appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy. In 1957, he graduated with high distinction with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and married Cynthia Hanson of West Hartford, CT, his "one and only" during his last three years at the USNA and for the remainder of his life. He completed Basic Navy flight training at Pensacola, FL then moved on to Corpus Christi, TX where he received his Navy Wings.
In 1958 he joined VP-22, his first operational squadron, while it was deployed to Kodiak, Alaska. He then returned to the squadron's home port at Naval Air Station Barber's Point, Hawaii and over the next three years he became Patrol Plane Commander deploying to Japan for two six month assignments plus many other Pacific area missions of operation. In 1962 was ordered to attend the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) at Wright Patterson AFB, Dayton, OH, as an exchange student with the U.S. Air Force, and graduated in 1964 with a M.S. in Astronautics, changing his status from unrestricted line officer to Aeronautical Engineering Duty Officer. His next assignment brought him to the Washington, D.C. area where he and his family would settle in McLean, VA for the next 50 years.
From 1964 -1967 he worked at the Pentagon in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) as a coordinator of various Navy space programs such as ocean surveillance, meteorology, navigation and bomb damage assessment. During that time he authored documents which consolidated operation requirements from many fragmented users and translated these requirements into technical criteria for space vehicles. He also represented the Navy in several Joint Chiefs of Staff actions, as well as personally advising the Chief of Naval Operations on recommended courses of actions for Navy space activities.
He then again was selected for Navy post graduate education and temporarily relocated to attend Harvard Business School in Boston, MA. He graduated in 1969 with an MBA and returned to naval assignment at the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIRSYSCOM) in Washington, DC. Here he served as Deputy Program Manager for an overhead reconnaissance satellite system for which he had written the requirements while previously stationed at the Pentagon.
Next he was selected to be a DoD staff member to the National Aeronautics and Space Council at the Executive Office of the President where he prepared recommendations for national policy including authoring a plan on the economic and military advantages of a commercial sales program to recover research investments for U.S. aerospace products. In 1973 he once again returned to NAVAIRSYSCOM as Deputy Program Manager with a special emphasis on introducing the Harpoon missile to our allies and making it a standard NATO weapon system.
In 1975 he was requested by the Secretary of Defense to join his staff as the Deputy to the Assistant Secretary of Defense. In this new capacity, a role reversal, he was involved in searching out foreign technology from NATO allies which could be utilized by U.S. Armed Forces and, in 1977, retired from this position and the Navy. During his Navy career he was awarded the Joint Service Commendation and Meritorious Service Medals.
In a full second career after his military retirement he worked as Executive Vice President of Astro-Tec, a small aeronautical consulting company located in Alexandria, VA, where he was instrumental in working with a team of leading defense contractors and was recognized as helping to solve a primary safety flight issue with the F-14 Tomcat fighter plane. He retired in 1997.
He was an avid supporter of several aviation organizations including the Association of Naval Aviation (ANA) and the Daedalians. While on Active Duty, he was a Director of the National Association of Uniform Services (NAUS) and a Director of the Army Navy Town Club. After retirement he stayed active in several other clubs and organizations including holding the offices of Vice President and Director for the Defense Orientation Conference Association (DOCA) and also Treasurer of the DOCA Defense Fund. He also served as President for the NOL flying club, was a member of Congressional Country Club and reached the 10 Gallon milestone as a blood donor.
His passion for airplanes and flying did not stop even after logging more than 2, 400 hours of pilot time with experience in T-34, T-38, SNB, S-2, P-2, F-9, and U3A aircraft as well as holding a commercial pilot's license. He also became an avid collector of desk top airplane models, not the kind he would build but those that Grumman or Lockheed would make for display purposes. He donated his collection of more than 2, 400 airplane models to the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum which are on display at the Udvar-Hazy Center and donated his vast Aviation library to the Association of Naval Aviation.
During his business career he crossed the Atlantic over 80 times and especially loved touring Europe. He was a master at making and maintaining worldly friendships, wherever he traveled he made friends and wherever he had friends he traveled. He said if he were to plan a life and a career it would be just as he lived it.
He leaves behind the love of his life and wife of more than 57 years, Cynthia H. Heyde, a daughter Lisa Sullivan, a son-in-law Tim Sullivan, and grandsons Jack and Ryan Sullivan. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Deborah Heyde; his brother, Donald Heyde; and sister Elaine Manager.
A private viewing was held for immediate family members and a memorial service and ceremony will be held at Ft. Myer Old Post Chapel on Monday, April 13 at 1 p.m. Please arrive to the Chapel at 12:45 p.m. Interment with full military honors will follow at Arlington National Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, please make a contribution in his honor to Warrior Care Connection at 23222 Georgia Avenue, Brookeville, MD 20833
Funeral Home:
Money & King Funeral Home
171 W. Maple Ave.
Vienna, VA
US 22180
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John was a mentor, friend and a wonderful person. He will always hold a special place in our hearts.
John was the first friend we made when we came from England to live in America. A fellow aviation enthusiast, he introduced us to so much in Washington and treated us as family. He was a wonderful gentleman whom we loved and whom we will always remember for his kindness and his enthusiasm for life.
Johnny was a person that always had a warm smile, a kind word to say, and had a funny story or joke ready to share. He will be missed by those of us whose lives where touched by his kindness, consideration and good humor. I was fortunate to meet John when I was very young and enjoyed knowing him for over 37 years.
John was nominated in 1990 by one of the last living founders of the Defense Orientation Conference Association (DOCA) created in 1952. That caught my attention as Exec. VP when I met John on his first annual meeting that year. Through 24 years, Johns participation in 34 DOCA visits in the U.S. and overseas helped members and others learn more about our nations complex national security challenges sharing his prior experiences while updating his own knowledge. His leadership was evident with the membership electing him director and then a regional VP during which he provided valuable advice and guidance in the planning and operation of our educational missions. Johns important role in directing the DOCA Defense Fund helped improve all the military Services morale and welfare activities. In between DOCA visits he continued to share his thoughts during the many lunches he had for the DOCA staff. We all miss John and will always remember him as a friend, a leader, and a patriot.
We were lucky to be John’s friend. John was warm and engaged; genuinely interested and involved with us and our family. We will always remember his great sense of humor as we and our children often retell many of his funny stories and laugh in the delivery just as he did. John was warm and generous, sharing his time, interests and good fortune. He was a wonderful father making every effort to assure Debbies and Lisas happiness and future. He and Cynnie were a fun couple and weve created many wonderful memories together over 36 years. He was a great tennis player and financial planner and she was good at shoveling, raking and gardening. What a team! John travelled extensively and always recounted his adventures and tips for those to follow. He opened and shared his life with those close to him. He was the real deal! We will miss him dearly and are so thankful to have had the good fortune to call Johnny our friend.
I have had such a difficult time trying to think of what to write about our dear family friend, John “Johnny” Heyde. I realized that I am having such a difficult time because it is so difficult to put into words and do justice to the spirit and character John was. So here is the best I can do… Johnny was kind, thoughtful, interested, warm, generous, and hysterical. Whenever the Heydes came over for dinner or to share the Holidays, or vice versa, we always knew we were in for a good time. Nobody could tell a story like John Heyde. They were always masterfully told with perfect timing and so often self-deprecating, leaving us all in tears of laughter. The elevator story has and will remain a favorite for my family… “Oh my God!” When I was a little girl Johnny, “Mr. Heyde,” knew that I was a creative and he hired me for several years to wrap his Christmas gifts for his beloved wife, Cynnie, and daughters Debbie and Lisa. Thanks to John’s kind and encouraging praise, I thought I was the world’s greatest gift wrapper. I would have wrapped them for free just for his delight in my handiwork. That first job, as little as it may seem, was huge to me and one I have never forgotten. Nobody loved lemon meringue pies more than John Heyde; most particularly my mom’s. Every year my mom baked John a lemon meringue pie, and it is the only time I think he was never willing to share. John Heyde’s life story and accomplishments are most impressive but to me he was so much more. He loved his family fiercely, was a lifelong friend to my family and me, lemon meringue pie lover, and best storyteller ever who is terribly missed and will always be remembered. My love and sympathy to you Cynnie, Lisa, and family. Johnny really was special.