NWA/DL Capt. John E. Heinrich

~ IN MEMORY ~

Air Force veteran, NWA/DL Capt. John E. Heinrich

July 10, 1948 ~ December 9, 2012

Viewing: December 12, 2012, 2:00pm-8:00pm , Walker Funeral Home, 5155 W. Sylvania Ave., Toledo OH

Final Services: December 13, 2012 at 9:30am at Walker Funeral Home, Toledo OH    Procession from Walker to Heritage Church of God, service at 10:30, 3520 Strayer Rd, Maumee, OH 43537

Word has been received of the passing of NWA/DL pilot Captain John Edward Heinrich, age 64. Captain Heinrich was Vice President, and an Investment Advisor at the Heinrich-Kamal Pilot Group at Merrill Lynch, an A320 Captain with DL, and an F-16/A-7 Fighter Pilot with the Ohio Air National Guard 180th Tactical Fighter Group. Captain Heinrich hired on with NWA 12-19-1989 and retired with Delta just this past September.

To view/sign the online guestbook please visit http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/toledoblade/obituary.aspx?n=John-Heinrich&pid=161641345#fbLoggedOut

Survived by his wife Lisa personal condolences may be sent to the family at

560 Spring Lake Pt., Holland OH 43528-9227 ... Home (419) 865-6849

Obituary for Captain John Edward Heinrich

John Edward Heinrich, 64, of Holland, left this earth Sunday December 9, 2012. John was born July 10, 1948, in Toledo, Ohio to Ralph and Lena (Lehman) Heinrich. He attended Start High School where he excelled at football and track. He earned a full track and field scholarship to The Ohio State University and held records in high hurdle and an existing record in the low hurdle. After graduating from Ohio State, he attended Mississippi State where he obtained his masters degree. John joined the Air Force and became a fighter pilot instructor during the Vietnam conflict. Flying A-7s and F-16s, John was a Lt. Colonel with the Ohio Air National Guard 180th Tactical Fighter Group, serving faithfully and with pride, completing his duties in October 1994. He was a Captain with Northwest and Delta Airlines where he enjoyed a lengthy and professional career, completing his last flight in the Airbus A320 in September. John was a vice president with Merrill Lynch, Heinrich-Kamal Group, where he specialized in helping fellow pilots manage and grow their retirement assets. He was an avid traveler, high-performance automobile enthusiast and frequent golfer. He was a lover of sports and all animals, especially doting on his birds.

John was predeceased by his parents Ralph and Lena. He is survived by his wife, Lisa (Herring); sons, Don (Maria) and Joseph (Courtney); sisters, Marilynn (Ted) Stapleton and Susan Broeren, and grandsons, Jonathan and Ethan.

Arrangements by the Walker Funeral Home 5155 W. Sylvania Ave with visitation Wednesday from 2:00-8:00 p.m. Funeral services will be held at the Heritage Church of God on 3520 Strayer Rd., Maumee Thursday at 10:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers the family suggests donations to Pilots For Kids, 467 Woodsedge Lane White Lake, MI 48386, The Toledo Humane Society 1920 Indian Wood Circle Maumee, Ohio 43537 or Hospice of Northwest Ohio 30000 River Rd. Perrysburg, Ohio 43551.

.Published in Toledo Blade from December 11 to December 12, 2012.

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John E. Heinrich

Capt. John E. Heinrich made his final flight west on December 9, 2012 at 8:00 a.m. with his wife Lisa of 22 years by his side.

It saddens me to have to deliver this information about our dear friend. John was one of a kind, and the absence of his vibrant personality will not go unnoticed, and will be sorely missed. Though I tried to reach out to everyone in advance about Johns battle, it is still seemingly such a shock that these are the words I type this evening. John and I built our office together over 15 years ago, and he was a great partner and friend. For most of his life he held three jobs at once, two of which were full time jobs. He was Vice President, and Investment Advisor at the Heinrich-Kamal Pilot Group at Merrill Lynch, an A320 Delta Airlines Captain, and a F-16/A-7 Fighter Pilot for the 180^th Fighter Group.

John had survived a brain aneurysm just over a month ago, and was on track to recovery, when complications reversed his very strong efforts. John had just retired from Delta/Northwest on 1 October. Though some thought he may be a type-A personality, he saw many type-A personalities in the rear view mirror of his super modified Hennessey V750hp Cadillac CTS. He was fun, smart, but a regular guy in very many ways. He will be severely missed.

Please join us in saying goodbye to our friend John, and I know that you will all keep his family in your thoughts and prayers during the days ahead.

Viewing: December 12, 2012 from 2:00pm to 8:00pm at Walker Funeral Home

Final Services: December 13, 2012 at 9:30am at Walker Funeral Home

All Pilots in Military or Airline Uniform

Walker Funeral Home5155 W. Sylvania Ave.
Toledo, OH 43623
Phone: (419) 841-2422

Procession from Walker to Heritage Church of God 3520 Strayer Rd, Maumee, OH 43537

Wake:

Stone Oak Country Club
100 Stone Oak Blvd.
Holland, OH 43528
419.867.8400

Please make donations to:

Pilots for Kids, DTW

PO Box 620052

Orlando, FL 32862-0052

John’s Home Address

560 Spring Lake Pt

Holland, OH 43528

Sincerely,

Danny Kamal
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John Heinrich (1948-2012)

(News article) A high school and college track star who became an Air Force pilot instructor, an Ohio Air National Guard officer, and a commercial airline pilot, John Heinrich died Sunday in Hospice of Northwest Ohio, Perrysburg Township. He was 64.

Mr. Heinrich of Springfield Township retired Oct. 1 as a Delta Air Lines captain. He planned to buy a small airplane in the spring. He and his wife wanted to take a trip each month. They returned from their first, a trip to the Napa Valley in California, on Oct. 27. He was found the next day suffering the effects of a brain aneurysm, his wife, Lisa, said.

Mr. Heinrich golfed. The couple were scuba divers - "and he was a workout fanatic," his wife said. "He was in the most phenomenal shape of any 64-year-old man you'd ever want to meet."

He also was a vice president and senior financial adviser with the Heinrich-Kamal Group, affiliated with Merrill Lynch. He worked with pilots to plan their retirement finances.

"He was always so good with numbers, and he thoroughly enjoyed it," his wife said. "He cared about people."

He was born July 10, 1948, to Lena and Ralph Heinrich and grew up in West Toledo. He was a graduate of Start High School and, while there, specialized in high and low hurdles on the track team and competed in state championships. He also played football, but he attended Ohio State University on a track-and-field scholarship.

He was in ROTC at Ohio State and he became a second lieutenant in the Air Force after graduation, said his former wife, Sharon Looney. He was a fighter pilot instructor during the Vietnam War and was stationed at Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi.

"He was very patient and very good teaching his students how to fly," she said. "John was always dedicated to whatever he was involved in."

 

He had a master's degree from Mississippi State University.

 

Back in Toledo, he was a lieutenant colonel in the 180th Fighter Wing of the Air National Guard based at Toledo Express Airport. He was flying F-16 fighter jets when he retired in 1994, but for much of his Air Guard career, he flew A-7s.

As a fighter pilot, Mr. Heinrich maintained the focus of an athlete, said Kent Ernsberger, also a retired lieutenant colonel with the 180th.

"He was always very fit and prepared to fly missions," Mr. Ernsberger said. "He lived life to the fullest. He was very, very outgoing, and when you were in the presence of John, there were going to be a lot of laughs."

Mr. Heinrich's commercial airline career dated to the 1980s, when he was hired by the former Northwest Airlines, which later merged with Delta.

Surviving are his wife, Lisa, whom he married June 14, 1991; sons, Don and Joseph; sisters, Marilyn Stapleton and Susan Broeren, and two grandsons.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. today in the Heritage Church of God, Monclova Township, where he was a member.

The family suggests tributes to Pilots for Kids in White Lake, Mich., the Toledo Area Humane Society, or Hospice of Northwest Ohio.

Contact Blade staff writer Mark Zaborney at: mzaborney@theblade.com or 419-724-6182.

.Published in Toledo Blade on December 13, 2012