Henry Trevennen Shick Heckman

H.T.S. Heckman died Thursday, May 04, 2017 at The Weils in Chagrin Falls. Heckman had been preceded in death by his wife, Helen Wright Heckman, on March 29, 2007 and his daughter Sharon Anita Heckman. He was 99 years old and is survived by a daughter, Charlotte Heckman Graves, granddaughters Desiree Graves and Colleen Lane, grandson Bradley Graves, great-grandsons Thomas, Tobin, and Declan Graves and great-grand daughters Sadie and Vivienne Mickles. Heckman received his 15 minutes of fame early in life when, in 1934, as a 15-year-old Eagle Scout, he represented the Reading, PA Council of the Boy Scouts of America in the Cabinet Room of the White House and stood at the right shoulder of FDR, as the President delivered a coast to coast radio address on the occasion of the BSA's 24th anniversary. The picture appeared on the front page of every Sunday rotogravure section. He wrote a front-page, by-lined story, for the daily Reading Eagle, was interviewed on radio, and was the featured speaker at the weekly rotary Meeting. In 1981, he was again invited to the White House, this time to receive President Reagan's appreciation for his volunteer efforts on behalf of the National Guard and Reserve Services.

Heckman received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Lehigh University where he was graduated in the class of 1939. He wrote the class column for the Alumni Bulletin for 75 years. Following graduation, he joined the advertising department of Republic Steel as advertising production manager. Sensing the inevitability of WW II, he volunteered for the Navy's V-7 program and following Pearl Harbor, was ordered to the U.S. Naval Academy where he was commissioned Ensign. Assigned to the USS APc-20, he spent two years in the Southwest Pacific as part of the Seventh Fleet under MacArthur's command, and eventually became Commanding Officer of the ship. Returning to the states, he was given command of a Sono-bouy Training Ship based in Norfolk, Virginia where he met Helen Clausen Wright, whom he married on November 28, 1946. In 1952, the Navy ordered him to active duty as Secretary of the Naval Reserve Inspection Reviewing Board in Washington, D. C. The Board made inspections throughout the continental limits and the Territory of Hawaii. At the end of the Korean War he resigned from the Naval Reserve with the rank of Commander and returned to Republic Steel where he eventually became Director of Advertising. He was a Past President of the Cleveland Advertising Club, the Industrial Marketers of Cleveland, and the Western Reserve Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (The largest chapter in the national organization). He was also Past Commander of the Cleveland Chapter of the Military order of the World Wars and Member of the Executive Committee of the American Red Cross. For 25 years, he served on the Cuyahoga County Republican Finance Committee. He was also active in raising funds to build the Chagrin Valley Little Theatre. In 1968, Heckman was elected National President of the Association of Industrial Advertisers. He is in the Cleveland Advertising Club Hall of Fame, the American Business Press Hall of Fame and the Graphic Arts Council Hall of Distinction. In 1981 Malcolm Forbes named a street for him on the Forbes's Ranch in Colorado. In 1996, at a ceremony in the N. Y. Hilton, he was presented a Steuben Bowl signifying the outstanding advertising campaign in the U. S. and Canada. Four years later, at a ceremony in New York's Seventh Regiment Armory, he and the CEO of General Motors were presented with the first Seven Seals Award by the Department of Defense for their contributions to the support of the Guard and Reserve. Heckman was also active in the Bethlehem Baptist Church where he served for nine years as secretary of the Missions Board. www.stroudlawrence.com

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