Wilhelm Heider, Who Served as a Translator for the US Army, Was a Pilot for Bendix/AlliedSignal

Wilhelm Josef Heider, age 92, passed away peacefully in his home in Ann Arbor on Thursday, October 22, 2020.

He was born in Bad Driburg, Germany in 1928 and following World War 2 attended the University of Heidelberg and acted as a translator for the US Army. Bill then was awarded a scholarship to attend the University of Notre Dame and emigrated to the United States.

While at Notre Dame, he met the former Gilda Caterino and they were married in 1954. After taking up flying as a hobby, he transitioned to become a corporate pilot for Bendix/AlliedSignal Corporation from where he retired in 1990.

Bill was an avid tennis player with a tremendous sense of humor and enjoyed playing at many different tennis facilities in South Bend, Ann Arbor, and the surrounding areas. When not flying or playing tennis, he enjoyed maintaining his vegetable garden and traveling in Europe and the US with Gilda. Always quick with a joke, story to tell, or offer to help, Bill will be missed by family and friends.

He is survived by his wife Gilda, son John, daughter-in-law Trish and grandchildren Will, Eric, Lisa and Ally.

A funeral mass will be held Wednesday, November 4 at 11:00 am at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Ypsilanti, MI. The family will receive friends from 10:00 am until the time of service at 11:00 am. In lieu of flowers, donations in his name may be made to Autism Speaks or the Kirk Gibson Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. To leave a memory you have of Bill, to sign his guestbook or for directions please visit www.rbfhsaline.com.

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