Reverend Henry Wallace Heaps, age 86 of Street, Maryland and formerly of Dunellen, New Jersey, passed away on Thursday, April 22, 2010 at Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air, Maryland. He was the husband of Mary Harry (Davis) Heaps. They celebrated their 61st. wedding anniversary on June 22, 2009.

He was born at Pylesville, Maryland on April 9, 1924, a son of the late Wilson Archibald and Mariah Jane (Stokes) Heaps. He grew up on a dairy farm, and during his years at Highland High School, he was active in the youth programs of the church and served in positions both at his church and in the Westminster Fellowship of Baltimore Presbytery and Baltimore Synod.

Reverend Heaps graduated from Maryville College in Tennessee in 1951 with his Bachelor of Arts degree. He served as Student Supply of the Presbyterian Church at New Windsor, Maryland and the Eusebia Presbyterian Church in Maryville.

In 1954 he received his Master of Divinity degree from the Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, New Jersey. For the next three years as he earned his Master of Theology degree in English Bible, he also served as a "Teaching Fellow" at Princeton Seminary.

Following seminary, Reverend Heaps began his pastoral mission at the Kingston Presbyterian Church in Kingston, New Jersey, serving from 1954 to 1959.

From 1960 until 1990, he served as pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Dunellen, New Jersey. During those thirty years, Reverend Heaps performed 1220 baptisms and married 827 couples. In addition, the First Presbyterian Church received over 2700 new members. He played an active role in community affairs, such as schools, hospitals and nursing homes. He was a frequent speaker, both on radio and among civic and religious organizations. Much of his emphasis was in pastoral counseling and he served as President of the New Jersey Council on Alcohol Problems for more than twelve years. Reverend Heaps was described as an active Presbyter. He served on almost all of the Committees of Presbytery including acting as chairperson and commissioner of various committees. He also served as the Moderator of Elizabeth Presbytery in 1965 and devoted twenty years of active involvement in the Synod of the Northeast. In addition, for twenty five years, he was Director of Johnsonburg Junior Camp, also acting as President of the Board of Trustees for six of those years.

After his "retirement" in 1990, Reverend Heaps served as the Interim Pastor of St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Williamsport, Maryland; Slate Ridge Presbyterian Church in Cardiff, Maryland; Elkton Presbyterian Church in Elkton, Maryland; Little Britain Presbyterian Church in Peach Bottom, Pennsylvania and Guinston Presbyterian Church in Airville, Pennsylvania.

His community activities included the Mason and Dixon Clothing and Food Supply; Mason and Dixon Pastors' Fellowship; Williamsport Ministerium, Coordinator of Dunellen Pastors' Fellowship for twenty years; FISH Food and Clothing Project for fifteen years and for ten years, Reverend Heaps served as Chaplain of the Green Brook Regional Center for Retarded Adults.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by four sons:

Donald D. Heaps of Street, Maryland

David C. Heaps of Lloyd, Florida

Wilson A. Heaps of Pylesville, Maryland

Jonathan B. Heaps of Street, Maryland

A sister, Ruth H. Burkins of Newark, Delaware

Nine grandchildren:

Matthew Henry Heaps, Danielle Dorothy Heaps, Sarah Barclay Heaps, Brandon Christopher Heaps, Brittany Baron Heaps, Harry Davis Heaps, Belle Naomi Heaps, Anna McLenden Heaps and Marilee Scarborough Heaps.

He was preceded in death by a son, Henry Wallace Heaps, Jr. on July 11, 2007, and sisters Ethel Jane Crosley and Jeanne L. Jackson.

Visitations will be held on Sunday, April 25, 2010 from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. and on Monday, April 26th from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Harkins Funeral Home, 600 Main Street, Delta, Pennsylvania.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at 11 a.m. at the Highland Presbyterian Church, 701 Highland Road, Street, Maryland.

Interment will be in the adjoining church cemetery.

Reverend John V. Carlson of Highland Presbyterian Church and Reverend Dr. Douglas Winward of Faith Orthodox Presbyterian Church, Fawn Grove, Pennsylvania will officiate.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Maryland Chapter, 825 Hammonds Ferry Road, Suite H-J, Linthicum, MD 21090 or through their website at www.jdrf.org/index.cfm?page_id=100899.

For directions or to send condolences, please www.harkinsfuneralhome.com or call 800-550-5915