Walter Eduard Georg Heinecke was the eldest of seven
children born to Rev. Louis and Agnes Heinecke. The following
obituary appeared in an unknown Michigan newspaper shortly after his death:
Walter George Heinecke, 84, a resident of Utica since 1938, died Friday, Nov.
23, 2001, in Utica. He was born April 7, 1917, in Cheboygan.
Mr. Heinecke retired in 1987 after 42 years of service in
the truck and bus division at General Motors Corp.
Active with a number of political and social causes, he
served on the National Republican Congressional Committee, was a member of the
Macomb County Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers, and participated in Social
Security debates in 1991.
A lifetime member of Trinity Lutheran Church, he served
there as an usher and greeter, and helped trim Campbell Soup labels as a
fund-raiser for Trinity Lutheran School. He served as a deacon from 1955-58,
was a member of the Trinity Golden Circle, was active in the Bible class study
and was a member of the Friday Flock. He served as a volunteer for the health
ministry.
Mr. Heinecke was named as Senior Volunteer of the Year in
1987 for his participation in Michigan's "A Step Above" program.
He also was a supporter of Lutheran Bible Translators
and Lutheran Child and Family Services of Michigan. He received a certificate
of appreciation for helping hospitalized veterans for American personnel
serving in the Persian Gulf War. He also received many awards for his work with
the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation.
He is survived by his siblings, Lois Bell of Rancho
Cucamonga, Calif., Godfrey (Lyla (sic)) Heinecke of Destin, Fla., Elyse
(Malcolm) Reynolds of Valparaiso, Ind., and Margaret (Dr. Ted) Eickhoff of
Greenwood Village, Colo.; and sister-in-law Luise (sic) Heinecke of
Elizabethtown, Ky. He was predeceased by his brother, the Rev. Paul Heinecke;
and sister, Rhoda Pattison.
A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday in
Trinity Lutheran Church, 45160 Van Dyke, Utica, with the Rev. Dr. Mark Hill
officiating. Burial will be in Glen Eden Cemetery, Livonia.