MIAMI BEACH
Andrew R. Heimann, 38, passed from this life on August 15, 2017, at his home in Miami Beach, Florida, surrounded by family and friends. His passing followed his courageous battle with glioblastoma multiforme stage IV brain cancer. Andrew was the son of Stephen and Ann (Holsworth) Heimann, brother of Emily (Adam) VanOsdol, and uncle of Nora VanOsdol and her sister due in November.
Andrew was born May 27, 1979, in Indianapolis, IN, which happened to be Race Day. His parents lived in Speedway, so they headed to the hospital against the huge flow of traffic coming in. During Andrew’s life, he never hesitated to exert his independence and “go against the flow.” Andrew was born at 1:56 p.m., so he beat Rick Mears to the checkered flag that day. Throughout his life, it wasn’t unusual for him to be ahead of his time.
Andrew graduated from Columbus North High School in 1997, lettering in tennis. He and Glen Cavanaugh made it to the semi-State finals in Doubles their Senior year. Andrew earned an undergraduate degree in 2001 from Indiana University with a double major in Psychology and Religious Studies and earned a graduate degree in 2005 from Pacific College of Oriental Medicine. Andrew was an Acupuncturist and Herbalist by vocation, but his true avocation in life was learning.
Andrew took every difficult experience and tried to learn from it. One of the most challenging experiences occurred when he was 22 years old, about a month after he moved to New York City to begin graduate school. He worked a block and a half from the World Trade Center and was scheduled be at work at 9 a.m. on September 11, 2001. His subway stop was under the WTC Towers. He fled the area on foot after the attack and was only ten blocks away when the towers came crumbling down. This experience, as well as his mother’s serious illness, were significant motivators for Andrew in his drive to help others.
Andrew was quite intuitive. One patient, who recalled that Andrew was treating both her and her husband simultaneously, noted: “Andrew placed a needle in a place that I had never had a needle placed before. When Andrew left the room, I looked up the point to try to figure out why he had placed it there. The needle point was for LIFE. Andrew knew that I was pregnant before I knew!”
Andrew is survived by paternal grandparents Cletus and Dorothy Heimann; paternal uncles Michael (Carol), Douglas (Lisa), and Christopher (Maho) Heimann; paternal aunts Carolyn (Steven) Urbine and Mary Rose Heimann; maternal uncles Rev. Dr. Thomas (Shirley), Mark, and Miles (Barbara) Holsworth; and maternal aunts Patricia (Randy) Campbell and Suzanne Tooley, along with countless cousins and friends.
Andrew was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents Thomas and Patricia (Miles) Holsworth.
A Celebration of Life will be held on September 30, 2017, at Jewell-Rittman Family Funeral Home, 3855 25th St., Columbus, IN, with visitation from 1-3 p.m. followed by the Celebration of Life at 3:30 p.m. with Father Clem Davis officiating.
There is no known cure for this type of aggressive brain cancer. Andrew tried several experimental treatments in an effort to find a cure. He was most grateful to all those who supported him through love, prayer and financial support. When it became clear he would succumb to this cancer, he asked that any memorials be made to research so that someday others wouldn’t have to suffer like he did. Therefore, in accordance with his wishes, memorials may be made to: IUF/IU Simon Cancer Center in memory of Andrew Heimann at PO Box 7072, Indianapolis, IN 46207-7072. The Signature Center Initiative at IU is working to cure Glioblastoma.
“Andrew fought the good fight. He finished the race. Well done, son, well done,” Steve and Ann Heimann.
