Michael P. Hearn, 79, a retired Marine Corps Master Gunnery Sergeant who served in three wars and then worked for the Central Intelligence Agency, died of a heart attack March 20, 2001. He died in his car, while driving to work on Blue Slate Drive in the Mount Vernon area.

Mr. Hearn lived in Alexandria and in Talcottville, New York, where he owned a former home of critic and essayist Edmund Wilson.

Mr. Hearn was a native of England whose family settled in New York when he was 8. He attended Northeastern University, the University of Colorado and the  University of Virginia.

He served in the Army in Europe during World War II and participated in the Battle of the Bulge. He was a clerk with the Veterans Administration after the war,  then joined the Marine Corps to serve during the Korean War. He was later posted to Korea, Okinawa and Japan and served in Vietnam. His honors included two  Bronze Stars.

After he retired from the Marines in 1974, he was a lieutenant in the Defense Department police, assigned to CIA headquarters. Since 1989, he had worked for a  CIA contractor, Omniplex Corp., as a security monitor at the agency.

He was a member of the Marine Corps Association.

Survivors include his wife of 54 years, Mary L. Hearn of Alexandria and Talcottville; four children, Cynthia Hearn Dorfman of Rockville, Michael P. Hearn of New York, and Colleen P. Hearn Dean and Christopher B. Hearn, both of Leesburg; a sister; and five grandchildren.

On Tuesday, March 20, 2001. Beloved husband of Mary L. Hearn;  father of Cynthia Dorfman, Michael Hearn Jr., Colleen Dean and Christopher  Hearn; brother of Mary Sunden. Also survived by five grandchildren, Emily,Caroline, Kayleigh, Elysia and Rebecca. Services will be held on Wednesday, April 4 at Ft. Myer (Old Post) Chapel, followed by interment in Arlington National Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Trinity Episcopal Church,  Lowville, NY 13367.