John Wallace Heaton

AIKEN, SC - Mr. John Wallace “Wop” Heaton, 100, passed away Saturday, September 18, 2021. Mr. Heaton was born on January 12, 1921 in Anderson, SC to the late Amos and Carrie G. Heaton. He was one of thirteen children. Mr. Heaton graduated from Anderson Boys High School in 1939 and briefly attended Erskine College in 1950. He then went on to become a graduate of the Dale Carnegie Course. Mr. Heaton began his career working for Ford Instrument Company then Foundry & Steel and finally Owens Corning Fiberglass before starting his own business, Precision Machine Works in 1950. He was an owning partner with Micro Machine & Engineering and Heaton Associates. Mr. Heaton was a longtime member of the Aiken Chamber of Commerce. He was a Masonic member of Ruff Lodge 240 AAFM for 77 years, a member of Anderson Commandry Knights Templar, Mystic Order of the Shrine and a Hejaz Temple Life Member. Mr. Heaton served his country by joining the US Navy from 1944-1946. He was aboard a submarine chaser off the west coast during his deployment. Mr. Heaton was a gifted Machinist. At Ford Instrument he built gun sights for the Navy. He was involved in the start-up of fiberglass manufacturing in Anderson, SC. Through his businesses, he traveled through Europe and Romania. His company Precision Machine Works built and serviced fiberglass machinery worldwide. “When using a knife, never cut toward yourself.” – Which he paid a nickel to learn at a carnival in the early 1930s. The show was called: Something You Will Never Forget. He never forgot. He is survived by three sons; Charles Wallace Heaton, John Busby (Amy) Heaton, Richard David (Zoom) Heaton; grandchildren; Charles Ashley (Christy) Heaton, Janet Kelly (Ken) Eubanks, John Kevin Heaton, John Wesley Heaton, Minna Heaton, Andrew Scott Heaton, David Ngoc Heaton and 6 great-grandchildren. In addition to his parents, Mr. Heaton was preceded in death by his wife, Carolyn Busby Heaton; son, Ronald H. Heaton and his siblings. A private graveside service will be held in Aiken Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Shriners Children’s Hospital of Greenville, 950 W. Faris Rd, Greenville, SC 29605. “To that undiscovered country, from whose Bourn, no traveler returns.” SHELLHOUSE FUNERAL HOME, INC., 924 HAYNE AVE., AIKEN, SC 29801 To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of John Wallace Heaton, please visit our flower store.