Dorothy L. Heffernan

Madison -- Dorothy L. Heffernan passed away on June 11, 2009. She was born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin on June 19, 1920, the daughter of Henry and Adela Hillemann. She graduated from Sheboygan High School and obtained a degree in elementary education from the University of Wisconsin -- Milwaukee. Dorothy married her high school sweetheart, Nathan S. (Nat) Heffernan, on April 27, 1946. During the early years of the marriage, Dorothy's income from teaching provided the most consistent source of support for the young couple, as Nat completed his education at the University of Wisconsin Law School, and began to develop a career as a lawyer. In 1959, Nat, Dorothy and their three children moved to Madison where Nat embarked on a career of public service, eventually attaining the position of Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. For a number of years after moving to Madison, Dorothy continued to teach school, first in the Edgerton schools, and then in the Madison school, where she ended her employment career working as a substitute teacher. Nat and Dorothy loved to travel. For many years they spent two weeks every summer in New York City, where Nat was on the faculty of the New York University Law School Appellate Judge's Seminar, followed by a week on the coast of Maine. They also spent several weeks each fall on the Bois Brule River in Douglas County where they played host to family members and their many friends. After unsatisfactory experiences with Dachshunds, Nat and Dorothy became great fans of Labrador Retrievers. In later years, when Dorothy was unable to care for her own dogs, she delighted in receiving visitors, particularly those who brought their canine companions with them. Dorothy was predeceased by her husband, Nat; by her parents; and by her siblings, Henry Hillemann and Janet Sontag. She is survived by her children, Kate (Howard) Thomas of Wales, Great Britain, Mike (Barbara Zellmer) Heffernan of Madison, and Tom (Corinne) Heffernan of Port Wing. She is also survived by five grandchildren, Ceri and Charlotte Thomas, Cyrus and Nathan Heffernan, and Jessie Atkinson. One week before her passing, Dorothy was blessed with a great-granddaughter, Maia Elizabeth Thomas. A funeral service will be held at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 17, 2009 at CRESS FUNERAL HOME, 3610 Speedway Road, Madison. Friends may visit with the family from 3:00 p.m. until the time of service at the funeral home. Those wishing to make a contribution in Dorothy's name, can make donations to the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Parkinson's Disease Association, PO Box 7513, Madison, WI 53707.