In Memory of

Herbert

Albert

Hearon

Obituary for Herbert Albert Hearon

Herbert Albert Hearon, born December 12, 1939, died September 1, 2022. Herb was born in Ardmore, Oklahoma to Gladys and Roy Hearon. He was one of six children. Herb is preceded in death by his mother and father, Gladys Loene, and Roy Rayburn. His sister Marylou, brother Roy, sister Ruth, brother-in-law Carl Roberts and Jay Rigsby, and mother-in-law Grace Bullard, and father-in-law Jack Bullard. He is survived in death by his wife of 60 years, Linda, daughters Lorie (Derek), Teresa (Victor), and Sheila. His grandchildren Kayla, Josh (Emily), Savannah, Breanna, Hayden, and Hannah. Great grandchildren Leighton and Pearson. His brother and sister Dub and Pat, and sister-in-law Jackie and Margaret.
Herb was a go getter. From the age of 5 he would ride his bike before school and probably before the sun was even up for his job as a newspaper boy. Herb served his country for 8 years. He was in the national guard from 1955 to 1959 and in the Navy from 1959 to 1963. He was proud of his service and his chance to travel to foreign countries such as Spain. Herb and Linda met on a blind date on June 10, 1960. For over 2 years Herb took every chance he could get to take a leave and go see her. Between that and letters they made their relationship last. Finally, August 7 of 1962 they were married in a private ceremony. Herbs marriage made him happy but what made him even happier was when they finally had children. He was a hardworking man and he made sure that his family had enough and more than was ever needed. Anytime he had a raise or bonus it went to his family. You could ask any one of his girls and they could tell you about a time he brought home something extra for them. Flowers, chocolates, presents for Linda and the girls, or something he knew they would enjoy. He would always do this with the biggest smile on his face that would bring cheer and happiness to anyone. On that note, throughout the week we’ve had many family members and close friends remind us that if it wasn’t for Herb, they wouldn’t have many important things to them. Many of which we as a family may not know about because he wasn’t braggadocious. He didn’t boast unless it came to how proud he was of his family. He often referred to his firstborn as “Miss America” and enjoyed being able to take her to Disneyland often when she was young. Even though Herb didn’t have a college education he didn’t let a piece of paper stop him from becoming the very best that he could be. Hard worker, strong work ethics and determination are just a few examples of what Herb was. His construction career started off with him building homes from the ground up. He retired in construction as a project manager in an office. From Georgia to California there’s memories left behind of him in the form of schools, hospitals, homes, and malls. When he built something, he built it to last. He was very proud of his work and although he spent many hours at work he never hung out with the guys after work. He enjoyed going home with a big glass of iced tea with extra ice awaiting him from Linda. He was a family man and he enjoyed being with the family whether it be at home, or vacations, family time was very important to him. In earlier years, after his glass of tea and supper, he was out the door working in the yard and working with the horses and sheep with his only “boy”, Sheila. Some favored activities Sheila has of him, are waking up on Saturday mornings and hearing the saw working. Knowing her daddy was up and already started for the day and knew that the day was going to be fun filled with building something. If you knew Herb, you knew there wasn’t much that he couldn’t fix or build from scratch. If Linda looked at something and said, “that’s pretty” or “I’d like to have that”, Herb would build it for her. A fond memory Teresa has is when she was working at his office and him telling her to go look outside there was something she might like out there. Outside was a bright, shiny, black mustang with a big red bow and red interior. Herb often talked about going hunting with Sheila and recalled how proud he was of her when she shot her first deer, while in a moving truck sitting in the lap of his best friend! His favorite place was the farm in Montague, Texas.
With 100 acres he had plenty of room to dig a pond and stock it with catfish, burn and clear the land with Sheila and Linda, build a huge deck for family gatherings, raise hay and angus cattle. Herb made every single home better in any way that he could by building add-ons to the house that ranged from picnic tables, pantry cabinets, porches and converting garages into rooms, etc. Herb built more than just buildings, he built people and shaped his children and anyone that was around him to be better people not just for themselves but for everyone else. He was always willing to teach others what he knew and did so by not tearing people down, but by encouraging them. At the age of 55 Herb became a father again with the arrival of one of his six grandchildren, Savannah. He never had to be asked, he stepped up to the role with a big smile and a kind loving heart. He continued to work hard and provide more than she could have ever asked for. In Savannah’s eyes, “he will always be the greatest man I’ve ever known.” He brought her with him to job sites, just like he did his daughters when they were younger. He wouldn’t let you go to a job site though without one of his hard hats. Herb was a man who wasn’t afraid of hard work or getting his hands dirty, he never did anything halfway. He did everything in life whole heartedly and made sure it was done right the first time. You could ask any family member, anyone who worked for him or with him, or any friend but the bottom line is he was a good man. Herb set the bar very high. His family will always be thankful for everything he was and everything he taught us to be. Herb trusted Jesus as Savior and was baptized in 1952. If you knew Herb, you knew that he didn’t want you “burnin’ day light” and he wanted to get ‘er done. And that’s just the way he left this world. Very quickly, peacefully, and before we knew it his last breath at his earthly home in El Paso was his first breath in his eternal home with the Lord. The family would like to give a special thanks to Linda and Savannah for their dedication to providing excellent care to Herb. As such, he was able to fulfill his wishes by staying out of the hospital and nursing home. He was able to be at home until the very end.
Herbs services will be held at Getz Funeral Home on September 10, 2022, at 9:00 am. Graveside with Naval colors to follow at Masonic Cemetery.