FRANCIS THEODORE  ‘TED’ HEURING
FEB. 21, 1928 – APRIL 1, 2015
Ted Heuring of Oakdale, age 87, died peacefully 4/1/15 in Scottsdale, AZ. Ted was in Scottsdale to attend a family wedding when he had a heart attack.  Hospitalized, Ted was found to also have leukemia. 
Ted was widely known as a humble man who displayed enormous kindness and generosity. He was also gifted with a tremendous intellect and curiosity as well as a love for people.  And for those that knew him, who could ever forget his smile and his joy for life?
Ted was born in Long Beach in 1928 to Francis and Dorothea Heuring.  His parents moved to San Francisco in 1929.  He was raised in that city and considered it home. After graduating from high school in 1945, he was drafted into the Army.  He was part of a medic hospital train unit.  Ted developed a life long love of trains from his stint in the Army.  He graduated from UC Berkeley in 1951 with a degree in Geophysics.  He graduated from Catholic University in Washington, DC with a Masters in Physics later taking certifications from the University of Chicago and MIT.
Ted’s first job was with Phelps Dodge Copper in Douglas, Arizona where he was tasked with locating ore bodies.  He contracted polio in 1953 and was in a hospital in Phoenix for 5 months.  Upon discharge from the hospital he went to work for the US Naval Hydrographic Office in Maryland. A highlight was his participation in 14 US Navy submarine dives to measure gravity.  He became one of 4 experts in the world on gravity. Ted ended his career at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory.  While employed at The Labs he presented papers on gravity and the magnetic field at conferences around the world. He was also a member of the team that developed the early GPS to determine the position of ships at sea and designing the accuracy of the Trident Missile.  Ted retired in 1992 from Johns Hopkins.
In 1993 Ted moved to Oakdale and became involved in the community, joining Lions and Toastmasters. He spent years mentoring school children in Math and Reading as well as volunteering at the Oakdale Library.  In 2002 Ted was recognized as the Oakdale Citizen of the Year.  Ted’s greatest gift was his involvement in funding scholarships for students entering college.  He quietly set up the Old Blue scholarship at Oakdale High School.  He will continue to fund that scholarship for generations of college hopefuls.
Ted married Bernice “Bunny” Bawart of San Francisco in 1951.  They were married for 38 years.  She died in 1989.  Ted is survived by 4 nieces.  He will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
A Celebration of Life will be at the Unitarian Church, 2172 Kiernan Ave, Modesto on April 25 at 1 PM with a reception to follow.  In lieu of flowers donations can be made to OJUSD Scholarships in Ted’s honor at Oakdale High School, 739 W. “G” St. , Oakdale, 95361.
The Oakdale (Calif.) Leader.
April 15, 2015