Rick Hefner

Rick Hefner, age 65, of Mekinock, ND, formerly of Madison, SD, died Wednesday, March 22, 2023 in Bismarck, ND.

Memorial services will be at 2 PM on Saturday, May 13th at Rustand-Weiland Funeral Chapel.  Visitation will be one hour prior to the service.  Following the service, inurnment will be in Rose Hill Cemetery.  Online guestbook is available at rustandweilandfuneral.com.    Arrangements are entrusted with Rustand-Weiland Funeral Chapel of Madison.  A celebration of life will be held in Gilby, North Dakota at a later date.

Ricky Lane Hefner was born April 7, 1957, to Vincent “Tony” and Neoma (Almaas) Hefner. He graduated from Madison High School in 1975. He became a Computer Technician/Field Engineer after earning a degree from Southeast Technical College in Sioux Falls.

Rick married Judy Bitner in 1979. They moved to Champagne, IL, where he started his career at Sperry UNIVAC (which later became Unisys). Their baby girl, Jesse, was born in 1981. The family moved to Grand Forks, ND, later that year. They had a baby boy, Zachary, in 1985. Rick always wanted to live in the country and he had the opportunity to buy his dream house on a beautiful, wooded property along the Turtle River in 1991. He lived in rural Mekinock, ND, for over 30 years until his retirement in April 2021.

Rick loved being outdoors, watching wildlife, fishing along the Turtle River, troubleshooting electronics, and spending time with his family and friends. He was an avid sports fan, and he particularly enjoyed watching NDSU football, UND hockey, and the MN Twins and Vikings. He was always up for a good bonfire, although if it was during MLB playoffs and the Twins were playing, he’d have a TV set up outside so he wouldn’t miss a game. He was a phenomenal storyteller, and we think his outlandish tales were mostly true (maybe not the one about having a drink with Oprah). Rick’s off-the-wall sense of humor, friendly nature, and penchant for shooting the breeze will be missed by all who knew him. 

Rick spent most of his 40 years with Unisys covering a region that spanned much of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota. He often traveled for work, and it wasn’t unusual to unexpectedly run into him in some small town. There was an ongoing joke that no matter where you go, you might have a random Rick Hefner sighting.

Rick is survived by his daughter, Jesse Hefner of Minneapolis; son Zachary (Laura) Hefner and granddaughter Vada of Bismarck; sister Starla (Terry) Kohler; brothers Ron (Karen) Hefner and Doug Hefner both of Sioux Falls, and many nieces and nephews. 

Rick was preceded in death by his parents and brother Gary Hefner.