Nicholas L. Heiny

Nicholas (Nick) Lawrence Heiny, 96, passed away Tuesday, January 18, 2011, after a brief illness. Nick was born May 5, 1914, in Ft. Wayne, IN, the eldest child of Stella and Lawrence E. Heiny. In his early years, he helped his father in the grocery business started by his grandfather. He graduated from South Side High School in 1932, at the peak of the Great Depression. He attended Anthony Wayne Business College, Ft. Wayne, and Gregg College Chicago, and was a Court Reporter for the 1934 Allen County Grand Jury. In 1935, he began a career with General Cable Corporation, New York, and rose to Chief Statistician. Prior to and during World War II, he managed General Cable’s wartime contracts, allocating scarce metals and vital materials to 8 manufacturing plants operating 24/7, and was the liaison to the War Production Board and other government agencies in Washington. The firm received notable achievement awards from all branches of the military. While at General Cable, Nick earned a B. S. degree in Commerce, Accounts and Finance from New York University, graduating in 1941. In 1943, at age 29, he was named to an executive Board of Directors, charged with planning for the company’s transition to a post-war economy. Nick returned to Ft. Wayne in 1945 and took over management of the family gourmet food market with his brothers Joseph and Robert Heiny. He took pride in his business and knew most of his customers personally. With the grocery business as his second career, he settled down and married Dorothy Callahan in 1946. Nick and Dorothy raised nine children, and instilled in all the importance of education and faith. One of Nick’s greatest sources of pride was seeing all nine children earn college and post-graduate degrees. Nick sold Heiny’s Grocery in 1981 to retire and began a third career as an energetic community volunteer. He was a certified volunteer IRS income tax preparer for AARP from 1983 to 2005; an alternate delegate to the White House Conference on Aging, an Older Hoosier Delegate to the Indiana State Assembly; a delegate to the National Silver Haired Congress at the Capitol; a member of the Mayor’s Senior Advisory Council, an active board member for Aging and In-Home Services of N.E. Indiana, the Allen County Council on Aging, the Council on Senior Services, the Allen County Genealogical society and other agencies. He received a Distinguished Alumni Award from South Side High School, was named an Allen County Older Hoosier of the Year, and was honored by the Allen County Council on Aging for his dedication to seniors of Allen County. He was a member of St. John The Baptist parish for 58 years, where he served as usher, member of the Parish Pastoral Council, and the parish finance committee. Nick loved gardening, traveling and genealogical research, and authored a number of books on his family history. Survivors include, his wife of 64 years, Dorothy M., of Ft Wayne; children, Paul N. (Rose) Heiny, of Springboro, OH, Judith A. (Piotr) Heiny-Chomczynski, of Cincinnati, OH, Mary E. (Carl) Kowalski, of Long Beach, IN, Vincent J. (Ellen) Heiny, of Ft Wayne, Rosalie A. Jarvis, of Indianapolis, IN, Edward J. (Grace Han) Heiny, of Louisville, KY, Elizabeth A. Heiny-Cogswell, of Kalamazoo, MI, Martin J. (Debora) Heiny, of Ft. Wayne and Charles J. (Ann) Heiny, of Ft Wayne; 23 grandchildren; 5 great grandchildren; brother, Robert Heiny, of Ft Wayne and sister Victora Fahey, of Glenview, IL; and many cousins, nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by siblings Joseph, Lawrence and Rosemary Heiny Bucklin, and great-grandchild Dominic Kowalski. Mass of Christian Burial is 10:30 am Monday, January 24, 2011 at St John the Baptist Catholic Church, 4500 Fairfield Ave. with calling 1 hr prior. Visitation is 1-3 and 5-7 pm Sunday at Klaehn, Fahl and Melton, Winchester Rd Chapel, 6424 Winchester Rd. with a Vigil service at 5 pm. Burial in Catholic Cemetery. Preferred memorials to Masses at St John's or St Mary's Soup Kitchen. www.klaehnfahlmeltonfunerals.com