Kenneth C. Heffner

Kenneth Charles Heffner Jr., 78, of Reading and formerly of Conyngham, Luzerne County, a devoted Penn State football fan and dearly loved father, died Nov. 14, 2008, in the Pottsville Hospital and Warne Clinic.

Ken was a season ticket holder for Nittany Lion home games at Beaver Stadium for many years and also attended many away games and bowl games, including the Holiday Bowl, Sugar Bowl and Rose Bowl. He also was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting big and small game in Pennsylvania and fishing in Ontario, Canada, with his four sons.

He worked his entire life in the garment industry as plant manager for such companies as Van Heusen and Manhattan Shirt Co., including manufacturing facilities in Arkansas, North Carolina and South Carolina and in Mahanoy City and Catawissa, Pa. He was last employed by Gant in Hazleton and Allentown.

Ken was a 1948 graduate of Pottsville High School and earned his business degree in 1957 from Penn State University. He was a Navy veteran of the Korean War.

Born July 23, 1930, in Pottsville, he was the son of the late Kenneth C. and Anna B. (McGinnis) Heffner.

He was the husband of King T. (Tran) Heffner of Reading.

Ken is also survived by his former wife, Shirley M. Spotts of West Hazleton, to whom he was married for 22 years; sons, Kenneth E. Heffner of Santa Barbara, Calif., Emerson K. Heffner, husband of Lori Vargo Heffner of Lower Saucon, Pa., Charles E., husband of Kathy (Slacum) Heffner of Pasadena, Md., and Gerald L. Heffner of Sheppton, Pa.; and grandchildren, Gerald Heffner Jr., Emma H. Croll, Melina Heffner, Charles Heffner Jr., Nicole Heffner and Ashley Heffner.

Other survivors include a step-son, Anthony Petro of Catawissa, and a step-daughter, Hue (Tran) Odom of Hawaii.

Services will be held Wednesday at 1:00 pm in the Edward J. Kuhn Funeral Home, Inc., 739 Penn Ave., West Reading. For online condolences, visit www.kuhnfuneralhome.com.