Harry F. Heineman

Harry F. Heineman, 90, passed away peacefully on April 3, 2011. His body had just worn out after a long and productive life spent, except for his proud service to his country, exclusively in the South Bass Island and Port Clinton area. Born on October 21, 1920, Harry was the eldest of five children, born to Helen and Norman V. Heineman, vintners in Put-in-Bay, Ohio. Harry was raised on South Bass Island but left at the onset of World War II to join the U.S. Army Air Force. When, as a 21 year old a captain of a B-24 bomber, he landed in England he was the oldest of the ten man crew. He was able to successfully complete every mission and return his crew and craft safely back to base earning a Distinguished Flying Cross and Silver Star. After the war Harry returned to the family winery business and married his first wife, the former Adelaide McGinnis, a Put-in-Bay school teacher since deceased, with whom he had 10 children. When the opportunity arose to take over his cousin's Buckeye Beer distributorship in Port Clinton, Harry moved his family to the mainland where he spent the remainder of his life. With the demise of Buckeye Beer the distributorship sold mainly products of the Miller Brewing Co. Through all the years, Harry and his brother, Louis, were partners in Heineman Beverage. Harry ran the beer distributorship and the trucking company on the mainland while Louis ran the Heineman Winery on South Bass Island. Harry retired in 2007 and sold the beverage distributorship. Louis continues to own and operate Heineman Winery. Harry and his widow, Mary, whom he married in 1972, were very active in the Port Clinton community. The Knights of Columbus, Elks, Moose, Eagles, American Legion, and Veterans of Foreign Wars were among his many service and social club memberships. He was a director of American Bank, a member of the Ottawa County Planning Commission, Chairman of the Port Clinton Lumber Company, former partner with his son, Norman, and brother, Louis, in Bowling Green Beverage Company, member of the Wholesales Beer & Wine Association of Ohio, active in the Ottawa County Democrat Party and a longtime member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. Harry was preceded in death by his parents, brother Gustav, sister Eunice Haran, son Bernard and step-son Kraig Paneff. Those who survive to cherish the memory of a life well lived include his wife, Mary; children, Norman (Kathy), Bowling Green; Zauzi Travis, Toledo; Philip (Carol), Provo, UT; Monica; Cecilia Farmer (Dale); Stephen (Evelyn); Otto (Christine), all of Port Clinton; Ida Larsen (John), Chatsworth, CA; and Thomas, Muskego, WI; step-children, Keith, Kirk and Mary Jo Paneff, all of Toledo; and Jill (Hutch) Strahm, Port Clinton; brother, Louis, Put-in-Bay, and sister, Judy Bianchi, Put-in-Bay. Also surviving are 20 grandchildren as well as 4 great-grandchildren. Friends are invited to call from 2-8 P.M. Tuesday at Neidecker, LeVeck & Crosser Funeral Home, Port Clinton, where the family will be present from 2-4 & 6-8 P.M. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by the Rev. John C. Missler at 10:00 A.M. Wednesday at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Port Clinton. Graveside services will be held at 2:00 P.M. Wednesday at Mapleleaf Cemetery, Put-in-Bay. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Immaculate Conception Church. Funeral Home: Neidecker-LeVeck & Crosser Funeral Home - Port Clinton Chapel 1124 Fulton Street Port Clinton, OH