Frederick A. Heine

Frederick A. Heine, a World War II veteran, retired school teacher and junior high school principal died February 9 ^th , in Harrison Crossing Health Campus, surrounded by his family.  He was 95 years old.

Fred was born October 27, 1926, at St. Anthony’s Hospital in Terre Haute, Indiana, to Adolf and Mary Ufer Heine.  His parents lived in and ran the Twelve Points Hotel and restaurant at that time. In 1931, they purchased a farm along the Eel River in Clay County, Indiana, where Fred grew up as a farm boy, active in 4H, and fishing and hunting.  He graduated from Ashboro High School where he starred on his high school basketball team.  After graduating high school, he served the United States Army as a paratrooper during World War II.

Fred then attended & graduated from Indiana Central College, now the University of Indianapolis.  Longing for adventure, he became a United Fruit Company heavy equipment manager in Honduras where he trained employees in the use of heavy equipment while riding a mule and carrying a gun in a holster for five years in the beautiful jungles and banana plantations of the country.

He and his young family moved back to the United States prior to starting his life-long career in education.  He was a passionate educator who began as coordinator of Harrison Township Schools and became a teacher at Thornton Junior High School and later Wiley High School.  He then went to Gerstmeyer High School as dean of boys before being appointed principal of Otter Creek Junior High School where he remained for 25 years until his retirement in 1993.

Fred was active in his retirement, teaching night courses for local GED students in the community, serving on the board of the local American Heart Association, and being a member of the Indiana Retired Teachers Association, the Vigo County Retired Teachers Association and American Legion Post 104.  He loved golfing with his special golfing buddies, John Valle, Jim Jackson, and Bob Cave, and he traveled frequently and loved to garden.

He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Dee, his daughters and their spouses: Ana (Brian) Sokol of Michigan, Karla Puckett, and Tanya (Mark) Hemmings all of Terre Haute; his brother and sister-in-law, John & Jane Domaschko of Kentucky and his sister-in-law Bette Heine of Illinois. He is also survived by 8 loving grandchildren: Katrina (Chris) Keidel and Kassandra (Ryan) Green of Indiana, Nicole (Matt) Altomare of Virginia, and Ashley (Brandon) Bennett and Tori Puckett (Destiny) of Terre Haute, Cory (Briana) Hemmings of Indiana, Derek (Amanda) Sokol of South Carolina and Devin Sokol of Michigan. He also leaves a special niece Anne Sam-Bodden (Brian) of Arizona and a special nephew John V. Domaschko (Sarah) of Kentucky and 5 great grandchildren, 6 other nephews and nieces as well as great nieces and nephews.

Fred is preceded in death by his beloved son Thomas Heine, and siblings Paulina O’Brien and Rex Heine.

Visitation will be Saturday, February 19, 2022, from 12:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m. at Callahan and Hughes Funeral Home.  Services will begin at 2:00 p.m. with Craig McKee officiating.  Burial with military rites will follow service at Calvary Cemetery.  A celebration of life will be held at the American Legion Post 104, 2690 Fort Harrison Rd.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks for donations to Catholic Charity Food Bank of Terre Haute, or the American Heart Association or the Alzheimer’s Foundation.