George Ellsworth Heidorn

At age 81, George Ellsworth Heidorn of Marietta, OH died of complications of diabetes on the afternoon of April 6, 2023. He was born in Montgomery County, Glenside, PA. on September 25, 1941, the son of George Gustave Heidorn and Florence Weikel Heidorn.

In 1959 he graduated from Hatboro Horsham High School. In 1965 he received a bachelor’s degree in education and history from Shelton College, a Christian Liberal Arts College in New Jersey. He was a member of Shelton’s Varsity Basketball Team and their Soccer Squad. During his college years he spent one year at Patterson State Teacher’s College completing methods courses and student teaching at Pompton Lakes, NJ. On August 4, 1962,

George married his college sweetheart Ruth Heidorn (Yarnell). During their 60 years of marriage, they raised and nurtured two daughters and one son: Sarah R. Goocey, (Tony); Matt Heidorn, (Mary); and Joy E. Geese, (Manoah). George’s six beloved grandchildren are: Ava and Lilly Heidorn, Todd and Joshua Goocey, and Lorelai and Leighton Geese. Other survivors are his brother, Donald Heidorn (Connie); Sisters-in-law, Bonnie J. Heidorn, and Sharon Yarnell. Cousins include Ken Heidorn (Jeanne), Patty Heidorn Castelli and Kathy VanFossen Nye. George was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Robert Heidorn; father-in-law and mother-in-law Dr. Ralph I. Yarnell Sr. and Hilda K. Yarnell; brother-in-law, Ralph Yarnell Jr, and his aunts, uncles, and several cousins.

In the fall of 1965, George and his wife, Ruth began teaching at the K through 8th grade, newly established American Christian School (ACS) which was started by the pastor and several professional men from the Bible Presbyterian Church of Succasunna, NJ. This was the church of which George and Ruth were members. Several years later George became the principal of ACS. The school had grown and now occupied a new brick school building on Hillside Avenue in Succasunna, NJ. This year the American Christian School will be in existence 58 years. That information made George so pleased. He was a member of Crown of Life Evangelical Lutheran Church (WELS) in Marietta, OH. where he faithfully attended Sunday Worship, Sunday School and Thursday morning Bible Study until his health began to fail in the first two months of 2023. Twenty-one years ago, George was an elder in the Covenant Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) in Vienna, WV. George and Ruth moved to Marietta, OH. when he was called to be the principal of Devola Christian School in 1974. When he wrote a term paper in college on “The Value of a Christian Education” George began to realize that the education we give our children in their youth forms crucial building blocks for the rest of their lives. He was truly an advocate for Christian education. After retiring from being a principal and teacher in Christian schools, George took up golf and played five days a week at the former Lakeside Golf Club. George enjoyed time spent with his wife and friends at Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, The Petrified Forest; Banff, Alberta, Canada, the Columbian Ice Fields, and Garden City Beach, SC. For years he attended the Williamstown Auction every  Saturday night. He took pleasure in sitting quietly in his own backyard watching birds at his feeders and other wildlife. His entrepreneurial spirit was evident in the way he bought and sold sports cards. For nineteen years he owned the Marietta Baseball Card and Sports Memorabilia Shop. Its location was on Putnam Street and later at 256 Front Street. Because George was born and raised 17 miles from Philadelphia his favorite teams remained the Phillies and the Eagles. His favorite player was Mike Schmidt. The family would like to express our appreciation and gratitude to all who cared for George in his final days which include Marietta Memorial Hospital staff on 2N, Dr. Lloyd Dennis, Dr. Holly Freed, Directors of Amedisys Hospice; Dr Timothy Graham, Dr. Francis Wadskier, Dr. Todd Hawkins, Magan Archer NP and Heartland of Marietta.

No funeral or visitation is planned.  Friends thinking of giving a monetary gift to honor the memory of George may send a donation to Wood County Christian School, 113 W. 9th Street, Williamstown, WV 26187. McClure-Schafer-Lankford Funeral Home handled arrangements.