Michael Kenneth Heinz (1945-2012)

From Biographical Wiki

Michael Kenneth Heinz
In Loving Memory
Born:	7 Feb 1945 Petoskey, Michigan
Died:	10 Apr 2012 Grand Rapids, Michigan
Father:	Lyle Kenneth Heinz
Mother:	Anna Mae Lanterman
Siblings:	Michael Kenneth Heinz James Lyle Heinz David Leslie Heinz
Spouse:	Madaline Lou Peterson
Married:	5 Dec 1970 Harbor Springs, Michigan
Children:	Alan Joseph Perry William James Perry Michael Kenneth Heinz Lyle Franklin Heinz Christopher Lee Heinz

Harbor Light, April 18, 2012

Mick will be 'truly missed'

Local resident, city councilman, “Chain Gang” member, dies

By KATE BASSETT HARBOR LIGHT NEWSPAPER

Communities are shaped by individuals, and Harbor Springs lost one of its greats last week. Mick Heinz, a City Council member known for his dedication and love for his town, died following a series of recent health issues.

“From a local government perspective, Mick was a rare breed,” said Harbor Springs city manager, Tom Richards. “It is truly a blessing to have someone like Mick on the team...someone who after a career of dedication as a member of the City’s staff, then took on the responsibility as a policy-maker for the city he loved.”

Born and raised in Harbor Springs, Mick served his community in various capacities throughout his adult life, volunteering as a Boy Scout leader, School Board member, Little League president and coach, and “chain gang” member, marking yardage on the sidelines of high school football games, as well as countless other small and large contributions of his time, energy, and talents.

In his late 60s, Heinz turned much of his attention toward preserving and supporting the city he’d called home his entire life, save time serving the military in Vietnam.

“I didn’t work with Mick long at the Council table. I believe we served one term together when I returned to the table after a few years away; he was term limited out soon after that. Then I had the pleasure of working with him during this term. He was great to work with. We didn’t always agree, but we disagreed as friends and never let disagreements become personal. Mostly, though, we did agree on issues facing the City- especially infrastructure maintenance and improvement,” said Mayor Alan Dika.

Dika noted he was originally concerned about Heinz’s former employee connection to the City of Harbor Springs. It did not take long for that worry to disappear. Heinz’s crinkling eyes and honest smile, his forthright manner and ability to listen to all sides, made him well respected at the Council table.

“Because Mick was a former City employee and union member, I had concerns about how he would work as a Councilman- especially when it came to employee issues. I was very pleased with the way he worked with a very open minded, neutral position and added great insight to the City’s personnel committee during negotiations and employee-City conflicts; he was a peacemaker; tough as he needed to be to do his job as a Councilman, but helping us understand the employee’s perspective at the same time,”Dika said.

It is rare to have someone with deep roots and such long-lasting passion for community, Richards added, especially with the added bonus of inside understanding, yet the ability to remain neutral.

“That unusual level of commitment, plus the knowledge and experience of how the City really works is a real gift, one that we all have benefited from.”

Beyond that, Dika said Heinz was dedicated to bringing new faces and energy into city politics.

“Mick brought some young people and locals back to City government. There are not many of us left in town that can hold Council and other positions on boards and commissions,” Dika noted. “He and I agreed that it was important to bring a new generation of people that have significant town history into city government. Mick seems to have known everyone in town, and he was doing some recruiting of younger locals to get involved. I think that will prove to be a great long term benefit to our town.”

As Harbor Springs tries to find its footing in less stable economic times, energy geared toward revitalization and new ideas has been a strong force in the community in recent years. Dika said having someone who was both a “local” and cheerleader for seeing the city truly successful for years to come, was an important voice for City Council.

“I’ll miss Mick sitting next to me at the table. He was my partner. Often he would call or drop by the shop and say ‘we’ve got to talk,’” Dika recalled. “We would hash out ideas, especially with all the ‘change discussions that are going on today, and he’d tell me what he thought was appropriate and acceptable, I’d tell him where I was coming from, and I’d say 98-percent of the time we would find common ground.

“Sometimes he’d tell me to reel him in if he got out of line while speaking from the Council table- I never did that. I always felt that what Mick had to say from the table was clear, to the point and needed to be said. Working with Mick, with his gentle toughness, was an honor.”

In the end, Richards summed up the collective sadness at Heinz’s death in a way that fit the man who was so well known and loved in this community. Simply.

“He’ll truly be missed.”

1 Death Announcement
2 Obituary
3 Memorial Tribute Gallery
4 Sources

[edit] Death Announcement

Petoskey News-Review, Thursday, April 12, 2012

Michael K. Heinz, 67

Michael K. Heinz, 67, of Harbor Springs, passed away April 10, 2012, in Grand Rapids.

Friends may call 5-8 p.m. Friday, April 13, at Schiller Funeral Home in Harbor Springs.

A celebration of his life will take place at 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 14, at the VFW hall on West Conway Road.

A complete obituary will be published at a later date.

[edit] Obituary

Petoskey News-Review, Friday, April 13, 2012

Michael K. Heinz, 67

Michael K. Heinz, 67, of Harbor Springs, died April 10, 2012, in Grand Rapids.

He was born Feb. 7, 1945, in Petoskey, to Lyle and Anna (Lanterman) Heinz. He grew up in Harbor Springs, where he attended school and graduated from Harbor Springs High School in 1963.

He proudly served in the U.S. Army from 1966-1968 and was stationed in Vietnam.

On Dec. 5, 1970, he married Madaline Peterson in Harbor Springs, where they made their home. He had worked for the City of Harbor Springs in the Department of Public Works for more than 30 years and was a supervisor for many years.

Mick's involvement in Harbor Springs included serving on city council for many years, eight years on the school board, president and coach of the Little League, flag football founder and coach, Boy Scout leader and worked the down box for the sideline "chain gang" at football games for many years. He was an active member of the VFW Post 2051 and the American Legion Post 2081.

He enjoyed hunting, fishing, bowling, golfing on the Thursday night "swinger" league and making oak baby cradles.

Michael is survived by his wife; sons, Allen (Liesl), William, Michael (Kristin), Lyle and Christopher (Allison); seven grandchildren; and his brother, David (Patti); and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his brother, James.

Friends may call from 5-8 p.m. today, Friday, April 13, at Schiller Funeral Home in Harbor Springs. A celebration of his life will begin at 3 p.m. Saturday, April 14, at the VFW post.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the VFW post or American Legion post.

Online condolences may be made at www.stonefuneralhomeinc.com.