Nigel Stuart Heap

Nigel Stuart Heap, 71, of Custer Ave., Royal Oak, Michigan, passed peacefully on Sunday morning, October 13, 2019, at the end of an extremely long and often very painful 22-year battle with Parkinson's Disease. Nigel was born March 3, 1948 in the village of Dunster, Somerset, England to Eric Heap and Kathleen "Joy" (Grant) Heap. He was married in Detroit, Michigan on January 29, 1972 to Anita O'Kulich Heap.Nigel is survived by his wife of 47 years, Anita, his children Larissa Heap (Edward Hessell), Toby Heap (Michelle Mantooth), grandchildren Aurelia and Ayrton Hessell, sisters Susan (Glenn) Short and Caroline Reddington-Smith, brother-in-law Nicholas O'Kulich (Judith Kirzner) and nieces and nephews in the U.S., England, and Australia. He was preceded in death by his parents, Eric and Joy Heap, brother, Michael, sister-in-law, Nancy (Leroy) Heap, and brother-in-law, William Reddington-Smith, Sr.Nigel was the proud owner of The Prime Choice Quality Meats in Clawson, Michigan for 20 years. He was truly a skilled butcher who loved steak and never wasted a scrap of meat. He was loved by his many customers and loyal employees. He had an impeccable work ethic and passed it on to many including his own children and their friends. He never turned down a cold pint, especially while watching old school hockey (Go Wings!). He so proudly coached his son, Toby, in the Royal Oak Hockey Association (even though he couldn't actually skate himself). He also lovingly supported his daughter, Larissa, in all of her performances (even though musicals and choir concerts definitely weren't his thing.)He loved socializing with friends. Nigel was known for his very British sense of humor and never missed an opportunity to crack a wise joke, especially in the presence of or directed towards people he enjoyed. He loved to tell stories of his wild youth and typically laughed while doing so. Nigel enjoyed traveling and exploring new countries. He especially loved taking his wife and children home to his family, and his beloved hometown of Bournemouth, England. He made sure that his children were firmly rooted in their English family and that they, too, would consider England home. He appreciated his cars, especially ones engineered and produced in England. Nigel was past-president of the Detroit Triumph Sportscar Club and enjoyed painstakingly preparing his Triumphs for car shows. Nigel loved lots of things including his dogs, camping, cider, sweets, donuts, fish and chips, music and rock concerts (Rod Stewart, The Who, Queen, and ELO to name a few).More than anything, his family meant the world to him. In the last ten years he came into one of the roles he enjoyed most as beloved BeBop (grandpa) to Aurelia and Ayrton. Our hearts are broken. He lived a good life, was so well loved and respected and will be deeply missed by so many. Per Nigel's wishes, at a later date, his family will take him home to Bournemouth where his life will be celebrated by all his family.

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