Douglas Hearne

Douglas J. Hearne, 61, a resident of Abilene, Texas and formerly of Davenport, Iowa died on Friday, January 21, 2011 in Wendover, Nevada. Douglas was a truck driver and became ill during a stop in Wendover last Friday.

Visitation will be from 2:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. on Sunday, January 30, 2011 at the McGinnis-Chambers Funeral Home of Bettendorf, Iowa. Private family services will be held Monday at the funeral home. He will be laid to rest with military honors at the Rock Island National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. (ASPCA)

He was born May 1, 1949 in Davenport, the son of James & Ruth (Fischer) Hearne and was a graduate of Davenport West High School. He later graduated from the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa where he was a member of the Air Force ROTC Program.

Following his graduation from college, Doug began active duty in the U.S. Air Force where he later became a fighter pilot, a C-130 pilot and the mission crew commander of the flight crew for the Airborne Warning and Control Systems flights. (AWAC) After a 20 year career, Doug was honorably discharged as a Major.

On April 1, 1988, he was united in marriage to Vivian M. Johnson at Anchorage, Alaska. He met Vivian, also an Air Force veteran, while they were stationed in Oklahoma.

After his military service, he was employed as a truck driver for the Stevens Transport Company of Mesquite, Texas where he had worked for many years.

He was an accomplished cook and will be remembered for the wonderful Greek dishes he prepared and for his delicious cinnamon rolls.

Those left to honor his memory include his wife, Vivian; his mother, Ruth Hearne of Davenport; his brothers, Scott (Dottie) Hearne of Blue Grass, Iowa and Brian (Rebecca) Hearne of Moline, Illinois; two nieces, 3 nephews and his mother-in-law, Betty Plumlee of Abilene.

Doug’s father, James Hearne preceded him in death.