Funeral services were held Aug. 1 at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, Secaucus, for Dorie Heckman, 55. She passed away July 28 after a lengthy illness that began when she had a stroke at age 14 due to kidney failure. After three kidney transplants, she lived the last 42 years on dialysis, attending three times weekly at Rogosin Institute in Manhattan.
Dorie was born and raised in Jersey City and summered in Allenhurst. She was a graduate of P.S. 17, St. Aloysius Academy, and New Jersey City University. She received the American Legion Award at graduation and finished high school and college while going to dialysis treatments.
Dorie was a self-employed investor and also the president of the Heckman Foundation for kidney research, a 501(c)3 charitable organization dedicated to the betterment of the lives of kidney patients. She previously worked in United Way of Hudson County and the office of New Jersey Congressman Frank Guarini. Dorie loved people and traveling and visited Hawaii several times while on dialysis. She loved her family, New York theater, shopping on QVC, and following the stock market. She was a tenacious and courageous woman who never let her illness prevent her from living life to the fullest.
She is survived by her sister, Caroline Addeo and brother, Glenn Heckman; brother-in-law, Felix Addeo, and sister-in-law, Jill Heckman; nephews, Craig Addeo and his wife, Lala, Michael, and Dale Addeo, August and Maureen, Glenn and Kristen, and Keith and Amy Heckman; great-nieces, Tessa Addeo, Shannon, Kaitlin and Carly Heckman; and great-nephew, William Heckman. She was predeceased by her father, Judge August Heckman and her mother, Rosanna, and two brothers, August Jr. and Bernard. Services arranged by the Mack Memorial Home, Secaucus.