Karl Martin Heien
Karl Martin Heien went to be with his Lord and Savior on March 11, 2026. A devoted husband, father, grandfather, veteran, and faithful servant. As he entered heaven, the Lord said: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Karl was born on September 27, 1945, to Dorothy C. and Alfred H. Heien. He is survived by his loving wife, Jeannie, of 49 years. Karl loved to sing to Jeannie—"Because of You There’s a Song in My Heart.” Also surviving are his children: Steve (Bonnie), Mike (Monica), and Mitzi (Jim), 12 grandchildren, 7 great-grandchildren, his sister Paula, and many dear family and friends.
Karl was proud to say he grew up on a farm in Farmersville, Illinois, Population 350. He graduated from Lincolnwood High School (29 in his graduating class) where he excelled in basketball. He was also involved in the school band, choir, plays, FFA, and many other organizations during his time there.
He graduated from Illinois State University with a degree in Agriculture in 1967. Upon graduation, he entered the US Army, as he knew he would be drafted. He signed up for Engineer Officer Candidate School (OCS) at Ft. Belvoir, VA. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in May of 1968. He then became a training (TAC) officer at OCS for one year. He received his orders and went to Vietnam on June 1, 1969, where he served as a 1st Lieutenant in the 588th Combat Engineer Battalion until May 1970. He received a Bronze Star with Cluster for his service.
After the service, he returned to Illinois State University where he received a Master’s Degree in Business Administration in January 1970. He worked in insurance sales for a short period, but he was always interested in the stock market. He applied for a training position with a company called DuPont, Glore Forgan. He was interviewed and then hired by Ross Perot after a personal interview with him in Dallas, Texas. He began training in August of 1972. Registered as an investment advisor (stock broker back then) in March of 1973. When he was registered, the DOW Jones was at 987. Karl never left the firm he started with, but through mergers and acquisitions, he was with many firms. These included EF Hutton, Shearson, Smith Barney, and others, finally retiring from Morgan Stanley after 47 1/2 years on March 1, 2020, in Naples, FL.
Karl always enjoyed helping and serving others, whether it was remodeling a basement, building decks, or doing various projects for family and friends; he loved every minute of it. He also volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, Easter Seals, and other organizations in the Bloomington area. Once retired, he volunteered at Habitat and an organization called Helps Outreach in Naples, FL.
He loved his family and enjoyed being with them—all 31 of them. He loved to travel, and he and Jeannie had been to many states and countries. He always said the greatest scenery was the Grand Canyon in Arizona, a truly remarkable work of God.
He also loved to sing, and he sang in his church choir for many years. When Karl was 76, he decided to learn to play the piano. He bought a baby grand and taught himself to play—always singing to himself and Jeannie.
A celebration of life will be held on March 28, 2026, at 11:00 AM at Covenant Church in Naples, Florida. In lieu of flowers, please donate to Helps Outreach or Habitat for Humanity in Naples, Florida.