Herbert O. Heckel, Jr.

Service Details

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, August 13, 2025 at 2:00 pm in St. Lucy Catholic Church (3101 Drexel Avenue in Racine) with Rev. Timothy Sanchez officiating. A memorial dinner will follow. Visitation, with police honor guard, will be in St. Lucy Church on Wednesday from 11:30 am – 2:00 pm. For those who wish to participate, the Rosary will be recited at 11 am in church (just prior to the start of the visitation on Wednesday). Private interment will take place on Thursday in St. James Cemetery in Kenosha.

You may witness the Funeral Mass via livestream by selecting the the following link at 2 pm on Wednesday, August 13th.

(link will appear here as soon as it is available)

Memorial Suggestions

In memory of Herb, memorials to the “St. Lucy Food Pantry” have been suggested.

Order Flowers from Family Selected Florists

Racine – Herbert O. Heckel, Jr., age 84, passed away, surrounded with the love of family, on Thursday, August 7, 2025.

Herb was born on March 10, 1941 to the late Herbert O. Heckel, Sr. and Mildred E. (nee: Griffiths) Heckel. He was a 1958 graduate of Mary D. Bradford High School. On October 6, 1962 in St. Mary’s Catholic Church – Kenosha, he was united in marriage with the love of his life, Susan C. (nee: Tyson). Both born and raised in Kenosha, Herb and Sue moved to Racine in 1967.

Herb faithfully served our community with the Racine Police Department for over 28 years, retiring as Captain of the Detective Bureau in 1995.

Herb and Sue are proud and devoted members of St. Lucy Catholic Church since 1967 where they were active in many ways. Among his interests, he enjoyed the simple pleasures in life such as camping, going out for breakfast and collecting items of absolutely no value to others. Above all, he was a true gentleman that always opened the car door for his beautiful wife during their entire marriage and absolutely loved being together with his entire family. They were his world.

Surviving are his loving wife of 62 years, Sue; their children, Robert (Felicia) Heckel, Catherine (Mark) Sorensen, Karen (Michael) Murphy, Beth Heckel and Lori (David) Riffer; 16 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; sisters, Phyllis Drinkwine, Joan Shoup and Jane (Bob) Grabowski; sisters-in-law & brothers-in-law, Marlys Heckel, Francis Tyson III, Bonnie (Terry) Schold, Therese (Kurt) Nelson and James (JoAnn) Tyson; nieces, nephews, other relatives & friends.

In addition to his parents, Herb was preceded in death by his brothers, Eugene, Robert & Glen Heckel; Sue’s parents, Francis, Jr. and Doris (nee: Haney) Tyson; sister-in-law, Sharon Tyson; brothers-in-law, Bob Drinkwine & Bob Shoup.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, August 13, 2025 at 2:00 pm in St. Lucy Catholic Church (3101 Drexel Avenue in Racine) with Rev. Timothy Sanchez officiating. A memorial dinner will follow. Visitation, with police honor guard, will be in St. Lucy Church on Wednesday from 11:30 am – 2:00 pm. For those who wish to participate, the Rosary will be recited at 11 am in church (just prior to the start of the visitation on Wednesday). Private interment will take place on Thursday in St. James Cemetery in Kenosha. In memory of Herb, memorials to the St. Lucy Food Pantry have been suggested.

You may witness the Funeral Mass via livestream by selecting the link above at 2 pm on Wednesday, August 13th.

A special note of thanks to the nurses and doctors at Froedtert Cancer Center for the compassionate care and support given to Herb in his time of need. May God bless all of you!