Grant Harvey Heiken was born In Monticello, Iowa, on October 11, 1942, to Garnet Marion Eilers and Harvey Johannes Heiken. He slipped peacefully into sleep on his 84th birthday, October 11, 2026, after a lengthy, determined fight with mesothelioma lung cancer.
Grant’s family moved from Iowa to California in the early 50s, joining others of the extended clan in the Central Valley. Grant learned early to be independent, to energetically explore his interests, to make and keep friends. He was fortunate to have been given great freedom in his teen years, learning independence in the best of ways — through the love and trust of his parents and adventures in a safer world. He also developed a work ethic that served him well throughout his life. His lifelong interests in nature and geological processes were encouraged through a voracious reading habit, enthusiastic experimentation, and curiosity.
Grant and his wife Jody met at the University of California Santa Barbara and were married there in 1967. Their lives together took them to Houston; Los Alamos, New Mexico; and finally, Whidbey Island, Washington, with wonderful sabbatical adventures in Greece (Santorini), Italy (Naples and Rome), and New Zealand. Professional field trips and conferences as well as vacations and family expeditions added many other countries’ stamps to their passports. Home life was always enhanced by the presence of a series of cats, who ruled the household.
Playing drums in his Boy Scouts troop’s Highland band introduced Grant to music, and his nonconformist streak ensured that he was not only a fan of rock groups but collected classical LPs, attended open-air opera performances on the hillsides of Berkeley, and enjoyed Texas bar bands. Season tickets to the Houston Symphony and Grand Opera and later the Santa Fe Opera led to ardent support of the Whidbey Island Music Festival’s early and baroque music. Grant’s wry dry wit and puns often were unrecognized until after the moment. Some of his favorite movies, especially those directed by Mel Brooks, displayed a wacky sense of humor. He was a bit shy, but his friendships were deep, long-lived, and sincere. Grant’s interests were broad, ranging from an early exploration of black and white portrait photography to a brief encounter with calligraphy, to some acrylic artwork and stone carving. But chiefly he was dedicated to earth science, writing and teaching for both scientific and public interests. He authored or co-authored more than 10 books; among them, Lunar Source Book is considered the definitive reference text on lunar geology. Several of his books were written to intrigue the public, including Seven Hills of Rome, a guide for exploring the city; the Italian translation won the Italian literary prize Il Premio dei Lettori di Biblioteche di Roma in 2005.
Professionally, Grant segued from an early fascination with his childhood rock collection to a career in geology and volcanology. From his undergraduate years at UC Berkeley to his Master’s work at the University of Texas to his doctoral studies at UC Santa Barbara, he studied with some of the best scientists in his field. In 1968, NASA recruited him to help develop the sample environment and protocols for its Lunar Receiving Laboratory before the first lunar landing. He was part of the team that trained the Apollo astronauts for their geologic field work on the lunar surface. His time spent studying the returned samples was one of most thrilling and formative periods of his career.
In 1975, Grant was hired to help establish a new geological team at Los Alamos National Laboratory that would not only examine volcanic hazards but delve into geothermal energy and continental scientific drilling pioneering field work in the US, as well as other locations such as Central America and Iceland. Always looking for critical issues to tackle, he was interested in urban threats posed by volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and other natural phenomena such as flooding and subsidence in populated areas. A novel opportunity allowed him to explore parts of Ethiopia as part of a team seeking remains of early civilizations.
Grant was modest about his achievements and gracious in sharing his knowledge. He was active in a number of national and international organizations, serving as president or director for many of them. Throughout his career, he had a special talent for mentoring younger members in his profession. He and his wife Jody established research grants in volcanology through the Geological Society of America and the University of California Santa Barbara.
Grant felt it was important to inform the public about critical (or just simply interesting) geological issues. He initiated a course at the University of New Mexico to teach secondarylevel teachers how to teach geology. After retiring to Whidbey Island, Washington, in 2004, he wrote pamphlets explaining how geologic processes affect the area and providing suggestions to avoid or mitigate some consequences. At local parks, signs now post QR codes that allow visitors to access additional environmental information in an ecological, inexpensive way.
During his retirement years, Grant was not idle. He finished writing several books and had recently started another, was active on the Greening Committee at St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church, walked with the Sons of Beaches group, served on the Whidbey Island Water Systems board, acted as speaker for various organizations, and contributed to a number of exhibits for State parks. His greatest interest and efforts were as an active board member and volunteer for the Whidbey-Camano Land Trust, an organization that was particularly close to his heart.
Grant is survived by Jody, his brother-in-law Raymond Irwin (and wife Nancy), and their son Jared Irwin, as well as dear cousins Jane Lloyd, Keith Schooley (and wife Mary), Kenneth Schooley (and wife Sharon), and their children.
Grant’s memorial will take place at 11:00 am, November 20, at St. Augustine’s-in-the-Woods Episcopal Church in Freeland, Whidbey Island, Washington. All are warmly invited.