Individual Details

Death

On Saturday, September 26, 2020, Richard Alan Heer passed away at his home a month before his 69th birthday. Dad was born on October 23, 1951 in Bakersfield, California to Alvin Jacob and Obera Faye Heer. He attended Beardsley Intermediate and Junior High and graduated from North High School in 1969 the year of Woodstock. In 2007 he received an AS degree in nursing from Bakersfield College. Dad was an amazing husband of forty-seven years to the love of his life and my mother, Nancy LaVerne Heer. When they got married in 1973, Dad adopted mom's three older children, Debra Ruth, Christi Lynn and John Anthony (deceased). The following year they had another child, Ricky Alan. Dad loved everyone. At various times in our lives dad helped all his children move back in with them when we needed it most. Dad was a man of many hats depending on what needed to get done at the time. The first day he met mom was back in the early 70's as a brand new orderly at Good Samaritan Hospital in Oildale when mom had to teach dad how to take a blood pressure. Dad being dad, bought mom a shiny red apple and put in on her desk at work before her shift started the next day as a way of saying thank you. As a child Dad was very active in the Boy Scouts. He was three merit badges away from Eagle Scout before the family had to move. Dad was an avid hunter who specialized in reptiles. Many years were spent in the deserts of California and Arizona catching and releasing various reptiles. Dad would take pictures of them in the lava rock garden in their front yard before transporting them farther away from public access. As a teenager and young adult, dad worked for the late great Al Robbins, one of the more famous herpetologists in Kern County. During his time with Mr. Robbins, dad took care of anacondas, boas, alligators, nile monitors and many others. As a child we even had a pet rattlesnake named Groucho. Ironically, Groucho was the best guard dog we owned. She rattled any time a stranger came through the front door. Dad was an avid motorcyclist from a young age. A passion both he and mom loved. From his old Indian and Triumph motorcycles from the 60's, the Heritage Softail and Big Sportster in the early 2000's to the Harley Trike he had at the end, Dad loved to feel the cool wind in his beard with mom snuggled up next to him. Later in life, dad had a pretty bad industrial accident that caused him to no longer be able to do the physical work in the oilfields. At the age of 50, dad went back to college and received his AS degree in nursing to become a home health nurse at San Joaquin Hospital. Dad touched the lives of many people in his travels that forever left their mark on his soul. Richard is preceded in death by his parents, Alvin Jacob and Obera Faye Heer and his son, John Anthony. He is Survived by his loving wife of forty-seven years, Nancy Laverne Heer; children, Debra Ruth, Christi Lynn, and Ricky Alan. He is also survived by his sister, Janet Sue Eberhard, of Bakersfield as well as many grandchildren, great grandchildren, and lots of nieces and nephews who miss him every day. We Love You Dad.