Robert C. “Bobby” Heike

Robert C. Heike—Bobby to everyone who loved him, which was just about everyone who ever met him—found peace on May 28, 2026, after a courageous sevenyear journey with Lewy Body Dementia. He left this world exactly as he lived in it: surrounded by love, held up by family, and still managing to make people smile.
Born October 2, 1952, in Durand, Wisconsin, to Robert Leroy and Coyla May Heike, Bobby grew up steeped in smalltown warmth, hard work, and the kind of community spirit that would later define his life. As a sophomore at Durand High School, he met a brighteyed freshman named Judy Forster. That was it—his lifelong love story began. She became his sweetheart, his partner, and, as his kids often said, his moral compass.
After graduating in 1970, Bobby was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1972 and served two years during the Vietnam War. Shortly after joining the service, he married Judy on June 2, 1973. Their marriage was the steady center of his world for more than five decades.
Following his service, Bobby pursued pharmacy at the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities, graduating in 1979. His graduation day was the only day his parents ever took off work from Heike Pharmacy—proof of just how proud they were. Bobby returned home to work alongside his mother, Coyla, the pharmacy tech and bookkeeper, and his father, Bob, the registered pharmacist. When his father passed in 1991, Bobby stepped into ownership without hesitation, carrying forward the family legacy with the same devotion his parents had shown.
Bobby never took a day off—not one. Even when he was sick, Judy would clean him up, prop him up, and send him out the door because he insisted his community needed him. Only when his kids started high school sports did he shorten his hours, and even then, he paced behind the counter before big games like he was the one about to take the field. He was his children’s biggest fan, loudest cheerleader, and proudest dad.
When his sister Barb moved back to the area, Bobby finally allowed himself one day off a week. Wednesdays became sacred: fishing with his buddies on the Chippewa River. For every fish he caught, he probably donated a piece of equipment to the river bottom—but he always came home smiling.
Bobby worked at Heike Pharmacy right up until his Lewy Body diagnosis. He served on countless community boards, offered help before anyone asked, and remembered every person’s first name. If you didn’t laugh during a conversation with Bobby, you simply weren’t paying attention. His spirit, smile, and laugh were contagious in the best way.
He loved everything a Wisconsinite should—hunting, fishing, birdwatching, and cheering on the Packers—but nothing compared to the love he had for his family: Judy, their three children, and their ten grandchildren. They were his pride, his joy, and his purpose.
Bobby was preceded in death by his parents, Bob and Coyla Heike; his in-laws, Harry and Edna Forster; his brother-in-law James Forster; his sister-in-law Joanne Forster; and his niece Chelsea Forster.
He is survived by his beloved wife Judy; his children Charles (Calli) Heike, Maggie (Nick) Peinovich, and John (Brittany) Heike; and his grandchildren Harper, Finnley, Elliot, and Landry Heike; Ian, Sadie, and Noah Peinovich; and Olivia, Drew, and Allie Heike.
A celebration of Bobby’s life will be held at the Durand Rod & Gun Club on Friday, June 12th, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Please join us as we honor a man whose kindness, humor, and unwavering love made Durand—and the world—a better place.
Rhiel Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Durand, is serving the family.
Condolences may be made online at www.rhielfuneralhome.com.