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Paul Avard Heaps
submitted by
Melvin Heaps
Paul Avard Heaps was born March 31, 1913 in Butlerville, Utah to Benjamin Franklin and Ann Dittmore Heaps. His sisters were Mary, Eva, Virginia, Helen and Rachel and his brothers were Lewis, Wallace and Albert.
Avard left high school at age 16 to become an electrician and was always a strong “union” man. He courted Margaret Johnson with whom he danced competitively in ballroom dancing, going to the Saltair Palace in Salt Lake City where the championship dancing was held in 1933. He and Margaret were married December 5, 1935 in the Salt Lake Temple.
They had two children: Luana Margaret and Melvin Avard. Their main city of residence was Pocatello with work-centered moves to California. Avard also worked in Boise and Alaska. In 1945 they adopted two more children: Ronald Neal and Nancy Lee.
Avard and Margaret were divorced in 1963 and he moved to Ontario, California. there, in 1966, he passed away.
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Avard at Wally’s & Marie’s
told by
Marie Heaps, widow of Wally
(also included in Wally’s history)
Avard was a journeyman electrician and had been working in the San Francisco area when he fell from scaffolding 40 floors up, landing on his feet, shattering them. After much surgery and therapy, Avard was able to walk with the aid of a cane, but was no longer able to work and collected disability. Being divorced, he moved in with Wally and Marie in Ontario for a few months. While living with them, Wally felt the need to move and upgrade the old electrical box that was located high on the house just under the eves to eye level for easier reading and working with. Marie was the one who was home during the day when the county inspectors came along to pass the work being done. They had told her the electrical box should not be moved and would not pass. Wally and Avard continued working on making the change and every time Marie would walk by, Avard would comment to her, “It won’t pass.” With Avard’s supervision, Wally completed the job and the inspectors came for the final inspection. He asked Marie if her husband had done the job. She told him that he had along with his brother who was a journeyman electrician. The inspector didn’t ask another question and signed it off right then and there.
On the day of Avard’s birthday, he had to go to Orange County to collect his disability check. While he was gone, Marie made him a cake that looked similar to the side of their house where the electrical box was. Across the cake, she wrote, “It won’t pass.” Avard returned home just before Marie finished the cake so she had Wally head him off from entering the house. Wally kept him busy with the rabbits and other farm animals, long enough for Marie to finish and hide the cake in the pantry. Following dinner that night, the cake was brought out and Avard got the biggest kick out of it.
It was after Avard moved out from living in Wally’s trailer and getting a room of his own that he died suddenly of a heart attack on January 12, 1966, just four months after his brother Albert.
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Luana, 3 yrs, 10 mo & Melvin, 2 yrs
June 1, 1940, Pocatello
Melvin loved climbing and his pockets
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Avard’s memorial
by Ronald Powell
Son-in-law
Rest peacefully, Oh troubled soul,
The storm is at its end.
The turbulence from deep within,
Your weary heart did rend.
I knew you not with the closeness
of your family gathered here;
And yet, within my heart I feel
That you were very, very near.
Your tiresome journey is now complete;
The road was long and rough,
And filled with countless pitfalls.
Shall we be strong enough?
If, from that straight and narrow path
On you journey, you did stray;
How many of us haven’t
As we journey, day by day?
The turmoil that raged within your soul
And would not let you rest;
Whatever pain and sorrow it may have caused,
To this, I can attest:
No man ever loved his family more,
In you own - Oh-so-special way;
With feelings hidden deep within,
Far more than you would ever say.
I know that God, with His infinite wisdom
And mercy will abide;
He knows what lies deep in our hearts,
From Him, naught can we hide.
I know He’s made a place for you,
Whatever your life-long goal;
He loves you, as we love you,
Rest peacefully, Oh Troubled Soul.
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Avard Heaps
Jan 4, 1942
El Monte, California
This is about the time Avard could first walk without his crutches following his fall in San Francisco.
The little girl is Leslie Heaps, Alvard “Toady” & Magies’ baby, who tags him around all the time - even in this photo. Avard’s legs and feet belong to Leslie.
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