Obituary of Mr. Joseph Raymond Heider

Joseph Raymond Heider, 65, of Cortland, NY, passed away peacefully with family members by his side on August 19, 2026. Joe was a cherished son, brother, uncle, godfather, mentor and friend. His presence will be deeply missed.

Joe was born in Bethpage, NY on November 7, 1960. He moved to Solon, NY with his family in 1970 where he attended McGraw Central School and graduated in 1979. Joe entered the Air Force in June 1982 and was an Avionics Specialist on the F16 Aircraft. During his highly decorated career, he was deployed to Saudi, Kuwait and the UAE for Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He was also deployed to Bosnia, Egypt and several other locations. He retired as a Senior Master Sergeant (SMSGT) in October 2002. During his career he also earned an associate’s degree in applied science, and a bachelor’s and master’s degree in business administration. After he retired from the Air Force, Joe continued to support the military as a contractor. Joe was also an elementary school teacher at both Montessori and in public schools. He volunteered for several years with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

Joe was a loved and faithful Christian who always looked to the needs of others before his own. He enjoyed art, classical music, traveling and reading. His most cherished times were spent with family, friends and his rescue dogs.

Joe was preceded in death by his parents Joseph and Edith Heider, of Solon, NY, and his niece Colette of Florida. He is survived by his 9 siblings, Elizabeth (Frank), Althea, Mark (Lisa), Judith, Paul (Mary), David (Kelley), Amy (Jim), Timothy (Laura) and Maryalice (Dave), 12 nieces and nephews, 18 grandnieces and grandnephews, and his beloved dogs, Wanda and Cosmo.

A funeral Mass will be held at St. Patrick’s Oratory in Truxton on August 29th at 10 am, followed by a private graveside service at St. Mary’s Cemetery. In lieu of flowers contributions in Joseph’s memory may be made to Helping Hounds Dog Rescue, at helpinghoundsdogrescue.org or Clear Path for Veterans at clearpath4vets.com. Please indicate for Cortland County Veterans in the comments section.