James Heck

Funeral Services for James Heck, 83, of Bismarck, formerly of Dickinson will take place 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, August 20, 2024 at Stevenson Funeral Home. Burial will follow at St. Joseph's Cemetery.

Visitation will take place one hour prior to the service.

James passed away suddenly at the Benedictine Living Community in Bismarck, Saturday, August 10, 2024 while celebrating his 83rd birthday surrounded by family.

James Heck was born on August 10, 1941, to Valentine and Beatrice (Urlacher) Heck, the oldest of four sons. He attended St. Mary’s school in New England, ND and started helping neighbors on their farms at the age of 14. At the age of 18, he met the love of his life, but didn’t know it yet. At the age of 22, he married that young gal, Bernice Privratsky, on April 16, 1963. They shared a wonderful 61 years together, where they became proud parents of three children, Todd, Melanie and Brad.

James had a lifelong love for auto body work. He started his career at a young age at Sax Motor Company in Dickinson and went on to continue his career at different businesses over the years, until he opened Jim’s Auto Body Shop in 1978. He looked forward to going to work every day, no matter how hard or long the day was. In 2004, he was forced into an early retirement due to health issues.

In 2005, James suffered a debilitating stroke where the family was told he would not survive. He proved the medical world wrong, and he not only survived, but he thrived and became an inspiration to anyone that knew him. He lived out the rest of his life not able to speak, but that didn’t stop him from letting his family and friends know how much he loved them. He endured many more years of health issues, yet never gave up or accepted defeat. James was truly a blessing to his family.

Before his stroke, James loved fishing, camping with friends, and found a love for golfing with his family. He had a soft spot for animals and would always help one in need, no questions asked. He passed that love of animals on to his three children. He continued to be an avid Broncos fan and enjoyed a good game of checkers up until the end. He was truly a kind soul and will be missed deeply.

James is survived by his wife, Bernice Heck; daughter, Melanie (Rick) Marchus of Bismarck, ND; sons, Todd (Jody) Heck of Dickinson, ND and Brad Heck of Boise, ID; granddaughter, Tylee (Michael) Mann of Dickinson, ND; great-grandchildren, Murphie Mann and Callum Mann of Dickinson, ND; grandson, Skyler Heck (Clover Welu) of Denver, CO; godchildren, Jennifer Goldberg and Alex Marsh; brothers-in-law, Roger (Berni) Privratsky and Merle Rambousek; sisters-in-law, LaVerne (David) Ficek, Michaela Duerre (Jesse Keidel), and Jolin (Keith) Marsh.

James is proceeded in death by his parents, Valentine and Beatrice Heck; brothers, Lavern Heck, Timothy Heck, and Earnest Heck; parents-in-law, William and Josephine Privratsky; sister-in-law, Cynthia Rambousek; and brother-in-law, Dan Duerre.

In honor of James, the family requests that casual attire be worn to his service.