Ben L. Heimburger, 87, passed away peacefully on March 9, 2016 at home surrounded by family.  Born on February 12, 1929, he was an extremely devoted husband and father and will be missed dearly, by both man and nature.

   In his early life, Ben spent time in Denver, CO working as a mechanic for M&M Auto.  He then moved east, first to New York, and then to New Jersey, finally settling down in Forked River for over 50 years.  He continued to use his tools as a mechanic at GMC for many years before moving on to work at NJNG where he would retire in 1991.  He also served in the U.S. Army and was a veteran of the Korean War in the early 1950’s, receiving the Korean Service Medal with two bronze service stars as well as the United Nations Service Medal.

   Being of German descent, Ben was an intensely stubborn man.  His hard-headedness was particularly handy when something was broken, as everyone knew that there was nothing he couldn’t fix, from car engines to baby toys to electronics of any size.  This quality was only surpassed by the love for his family and animals - especially cats.  Ben also took great pride in attending his children’s after-school activities, which spanned many years and many children.  He loved camping, taking his family to all four corners of the United States, enjoying every mile of majestic scenery.  Lastly, Ben was a fighter – whether it was battling and overcoming cancer or wearing down the grocery store clerk trying to refuse an expired coupon, he rarely, if ever, lost; it just wasn’t in his blood!

   Ben was predeceased by his parents, Reinhold and Marta, of Long Island; two brothers, Gearhardt of Long Island, and Petey of Germany; and a sister, Ruthie, also of Long Island.

   Ben is survived by his wife Marguerite of Forked River, NJ; four sons, Bob Heimburger and his wife Joann of Forked River, NJ, Ben Heimburger Jr. and his wife Carol of Bayville, NJ, Brian Heimburger of Austin, TX, and Brad Heimburger of Forked River, NJ; four daughters, Deborah (Clarkson) Heimburger and her husband Joe of Louisville, KY, Lisa (Szem) Heimburger and her husband Chris of Wall, NJ, Beverly (Chelednik) Heimburger of West Milton, PA, and Valerie (Doeren) Heimburger and her husband James of Forked River, NJ; and one step-daughter, Sharon Russomano and her husband Phil of Maine; as well as many grandchildren and extended family.

   The family would like to extend a huge debt of gratitude to Berko Dankwah, of Care Street Home Care, for his truly one of a kind compassion, dedication, and gentle care over the last few difficult months.

   Visitation will be from 2 to 4 p.m and 7 to 9 p.m. on Monday, March 14, 2016 at Layton’s Home for Funerals, 250 Lacey Road, Forked River, NJ.  Funeral services will begin at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, March 15, 2016 at the funeral home.  Ben will be laid to rest with military honors at Good Luck Cemetery, Lanoka Harbor, NJ.

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