Obituary of Thomas Heckenkamp

Tom was born in Quincy, Illinois on April 28, 1933 to Robert and Evelyn Heckenkamp. He remained close to his two brothers, Bob and Jim, and two sisters, Bette and Evie. In 1952 Tom married his high school sweetheart, Pat Wiegmann. They had two daughters, Kathy Reed and Cindi Cooper. All of the sons worked at Heckenkamp Florists, the family business that was founded in 1882. Tom and Pat left Quincy in 1952 to open a wholesale florist branch in Centralia, Illinois. In 1960 Tom and Pat flew to California and then to Hawaii for a florist convention. His eyes were opened to a whole new world and he was eager to embark on a new adventure. In 1962 Tom sold his share of the family business but never lost his love of flowers. Tom packed up his family and moved to California despite the fact that there was no job or housing awaiting them. Each job brought new challenges whether it was selling insurance, operating an art gallery, assisting several florists, working his way up the ranks to become a District Manager at Lever Brothers (an international soap company), and then starting his own food brokerage business. One of his proudest moments was testifying before a congressional hearing in Washington, DC to challenge an anti-trust law. He sued a major beverage company and won a sizable settlement. Never one to turn his back on a new opportunity, Tom ventured into the oil and gas business. He traveled around the globe for business and pleasure and always wanted Pat to be his traveling companion. Upon their return, their stories usually revolved around their meals- whether good or bad. During his retirement Tom still maintained business contacts and mentored other entrepreneurs. Many of them described him as an intelligent, thoughtful man with a quick wit and a quick mind. Others said he was "quite a character, one of a kind, and an unforgettable man who cherished his family." For many years Saturday mornings were spent golfing with friends and co-workers. The rest of the weekend was "family time." Saturday evenings started with 5:30 Mass, followed by dinner at favorite restaurants like Genio's in Burbank and then double feature movies. Despite having just finished a large meal, he always had room for a large tub of popcorn. Many Sundays were spent taking day trips around Southern California. Maybe that was the reason he enjoyed watching Huell Howser on TV. The family which eventually included son-in-law, Cliff Reed, and grandsons, Tim and Patrick, had season tickets to the LA Rams and later the LA Raiders. Football season was the highlight of the year in those days. The drive there and back was sometimes more exciting than the game itself. His grandsons learned some peppery language at an early age. Of course, their laughter only encouraged him to continue such behavior. Tom didn't have a son. However, from an early age Kathy watched countless hours of war movies, documentaries, and westerns both TV and movies with her father. He said it prepared her for being a mother of two boys and grandmother to three boys. Once again-he was right! Sunday pool parties and family meals eventually took the place of football. The family also grew to include son-in-law, Marc Cooper, and grandchildren, Kelly and Trevor. The family continued to grow. Patrick and his wife, Marisol, added four children. Tom marveled at how well they could balance work and raising his four adorable great-grandchildren, Parker, Mason, Liam and Marla. Although grandson, Tim, has yet to marry; three dogs keep him busy and loved after a hard day at work. Tom was thrilled to attend Tim's graduation from Cal-tech. The renowned author, Ray Bradbury, gave the commencement speech. Being the first-born grandson, Tim, will most likely assume the role of patriarch for the next generation. He has already been instrumental in protecting and assisting his loved ones. Tom was the life of any gathering. He loved to laugh. He was comfortable in his own skin and could easily strike up a conversation with complete strangers. Tom's favorite opening line was "What's the story?" Even if you were with him for hours and left the room for only a few minutes, he would still ask, "What's the story?" The Heckenkamp nosiness was sometimes annoying but you always knew he cared. When at home Tom was most often found sitting comfortably in his recliner watching television if he wasn't reading the Wall Street Journal. The remote control seemed to be glued to his hand. Fox News programming and NCIS were his favorite shows. He would put the remote down long enough to make his delicious popcorn especially if requested by his grandchildren. Anyone who didn't know Tom would think that the telephone was permanently attached to his ear. Much to the consternation of his family, each advance in technology allowed him to talk and talk and talk no matter when or where he was. Amazingly, Tom never lost his voice! One of Tom's favorite pastimes was growing tomatoes. Each year he nurtured his plants with loving care. He even tried growing them in a hydroponic greenhouse—much to Pat's chagrin. Little did we know that last summer's crop would be his last one.