Obituary of Gary V. Heldenbergh

Gary V. Heldenbergh passed away on December 29th at the age of 49 surrounded by family and friends after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of ALS. Gary will be remembered as a man devoted to his family and a well-loved member of the Burlington community.

Gary was the youngest of four children born to the late William and Gladys (Ramsay) Heldenbergh in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. He grew up in Douglas, MA where he played youth soccer, coached by his dad. He later transitioned to elite club team play in the late 1980s when club teams were rare. Gary graduated from Douglas High School where he was recognized as an outstanding soccer player who earned League All-Star status. After graduating from Douglas High, Gary attended Anna Maria College where he still holds the record for points and goals scored in a season. He later transferred to North Adams State where he continued to excel in soccer, earned a degree in English, and made many friends. After graduating from college, Gary pursued a career in technology. He accepted a position at EMC as a product support engineer and later became a customer engineer. As a valued member of the EMC team, he was called upon occasionally to travel internationally for EMC projects. He later spent 10 years at Vistaprint as a Principal SAN Engineer. For the last 6 years, Gary found his niche in a job that he loved as a Senior Data Center Architect at Focus Technology Solutions, specializing in data center matters and data security protection. At Focus, Gary enjoyed his work as well as the mutual respect of his coworkers and clients.

Most of all, Gary was a devoted family man. He met his wife, Patti, the love of his life, in 2001. They married in 2004 and settled in Burlington in 2007 with their two young sons, Ryan and Tyler. As the boys began playing youth sports, Gary spent many enjoyable hours coaching them. As a youth soccer coach, he shared his soccer expertise with his boys and many other youngsters involved in the Burlington Youth Soccer Association. He also coached the boys on several baseball teams as part of the Burlington Baseball Association. When the boys began participating in Burlington Youth Hockey, Gary joined the BHSA Board of Directors and soon became President of the Board. Believing in a kids first philosophy, Gary’s tenure on the Board was characterized by decisions that were made in the best interest of kids.

Outside of work, Gary was someone who was always on the go. He enjoyed going to concerts, and he especially enjoyed seeing his favorite performer, Jimmy Buffett. He and Patti enjoyed taking the boys on family vacations to Seabrook, NH, Walt Disney World, traveling with friends to Atlantis in the Bahamas, as well as various road trips for Red Sox games to places like Baltimore and New York City. As parents, Patti and Gary worked as a team managing busy schedules. As both boys engaged in club level sports, Gary logged many miles taking long road trips for tournaments all along the east coast from Canada to Florida. Without question, Gary was the number one fan of both boys. He could always be found standing with the dads along the offensive boards cheering for Tyler at hockey games or standing behind the backstop recording Ryan’s pitches when he was on the mound. In addition to Ryan and Tyler’s athletic success, Gary was also very proud of their academic accomplishments and their good character. Gary’s death leaves a deep void in their lives.

Gary was the beloved husband of Patti (Fernandes) Heldenbergh. He was the proud father of Ryan and Tyler Heldenbergh, both of Burlington. He was the son of the late William and Gladys (Ramsay) Heldenbergh and the caring brother of Pam Moynagh and her husband, Kevin, of Worcester, Kyle Heldenbergh & his wife, Jessica, of Sutton, and Andrea Hughes & her husband, Mitch, of Barre. He was the son-in-law of Steve and Pat (Scalley) Fernandes of Burlington and brother-in-law of Wendy and Steve Fernandes, Jr. also of Burlington. Gary is also survived by many nieces, nephews, friends, and his beloved dog, Brady. 

Visiting hours will be held at the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn Street, Burlington on Thursday, January 4 from 4-7pm. The Funeral will be held at the Sullivan Funeral Home on Friday, January 5 at 9am, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Margaret Church in St. Veronica Parish, wwww.stveronicama.org, 111 Winn Street, Burlington at 10am. Services will conclude with burial in Pine Haven Cemetery, Burlington.

In lieu of flowers, donations to support Ryan and Tyler’s educational expenses can be made via this gofundme: Education Fund for the Heldenbergh Boys 

For online guestbook and video tribute see www.sullivanfuneralhome.net.