Eric John Heidelberger

Eric John Heidelberger of West Chester, Pennsylvania passed away on May 31, 2023 at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia. He was 84 years old.

Eric was born on March 31, 1939 in Philadelphia to Hans and Claire Heidelberger. He was raised in the city’s Drexel Hill neighborhood and graduated from Upper Darby High School in 1957.

He married Marcia Dickerhoff and had two children with her, William and Nancy, raising them in Clifton Heights.

He earned a Master of Electrical Engineering degree from Villanova University. In the early 1960’s, he began working for General Electric where he built a storied and distinguished career as an aerospace engineer. He started in the Re-Entry Systems Division in Philadelphia, then later accepted a position on the Manned Orbiting Laboratory Program in King of Prussia.

In the mid-1970s, Eric joined GE’s Command and Control group after the company was awarded a contract to develop the operations facility for a new, technologically advanced satellite system for the U.S. Government.

On June 21, 1975, he married the love of his life, Theresa (Terry) D’Amato, and they moved to West Chester, where they had a son, Mark.

Over a career spanning more than four decades and multiple companies, including General Electric and Lockheed Martin, he continued to design, develop, initialize and troubleshoot multiple generations of Command and Control systems. Along the way, he became recognized as a national expert in the field of satellite command and control.

He received numerous awards and accolades for his contributions to national security. Lockheed Martin presented him with the prestigious One-In-A-Thousand Award and appointed him as a member to the Lockheed Martin Technical Fellows Program. In addition, he was identified by the U.S. Government as a National Asset.

Eric loved his work, his co-workers and his country. He stepped down from full time work in 2000, but continued to serve as a consultant before retiring completely in 2007.

He was passionate about classic cars, participated in many car shows, and was the proud owner of a 1956 Ford Fairlane Victoria, which won a coveted AACA Grand National Award.

He enjoyed old school country music from artists like Charley Pride and Emmylou Harris. He loved Pepsi and Mounds bars, a good action movie, and his cat, Muffin. He was an ace at Sudoku puzzles and would often do the hardest ones he could find.

He is survived by his wife, Terry, of 48 years; his children William (Connie), Nancy and Mark (Erica); his grandchildren Jacqueline (Jake), Kevin and Valerie; great grandchildren Oskar and Ruby; and his brother William (Candace). He is predeceased by his brother Karl and sister Merlee.

A funeral service will be held on Friday, June 9, 2023 at Calvary Chapel Chester Springs, 217 Dowlin Forge Road, Exton, PA 19341. Visitation will begin at 10:00am and the service will begin at 11:00am. In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Eric’s name to any charitable organization that supports our country’s military men and women, including veterans or those injured in combat.