Jean Heike of Barnegat, New Jersey, passed away on January 17, 2017.  Born in Englewood, New Jersey, she was mostly raised in Montclair, New Jersey, where she graduated from high school as a member of the Class of 1949.  She married Chester Heike of Nutley in 1951.  For the following sixteen years, Jean worked as a stay-at-home mom, raising two sons, Brian and Jeffrey.  The family moved to Cedar Grove in 1965.  In 1967, Jean took a job as a waitress at the Taylor’s Dairy luncheonette.  Her warmth and congeniality was recognized by the Director of the Faculty-Student Cooperative at Montclair State College, a frequent lunchtime customer.  Jean was offered and accepted employment with the Co-op, first as the manager of an on-campus convenience store called the Fishbowl, and then in the business office of the Co-op.  She retired as Director of Payroll from that organization in 1995.  In 2005, she and Chet realized their plan of moving to the Mirage at Four Seasons community in Barnegat.

Jean loved nature and the out-of-doors.  She took joy in attracting birds to their yard, walking in the woods and simply sitting in the sun.  She particularly enjoyed the beach.   She and Chet annually traveled to Bermuda, their favorite destination, where she captured many of her fondest memories.  At home, Jean was a yarn enthusiast, and, most often she could be found crocheting or doing needlework while watching sporting events on television, another passion.  Dearer to her was her relationship with her grandsons and, more recently, great-granddaughters.  Emma, as she became to be known having been renamed by the grandkids, delighted in their visits together and thoroughly enjoyed her role as grandmother.

Jean is survived by her husband, Chester, with whom she celebrated her 65th wedding anniversary last September.  She is also survived by her son, Brian, and his partner, Doug; son Jeffrey and his wife Robin; grandson, Christopher and his fiancée, Shediah; grandson, James and his wife, Christie; and great-granddaughters Isabelle and Samantha.

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