possum
10-19-2005, 10:07 AM
The Checkers family lost a longtime member last month, and the article below was in the Observer this morning. You can see the same text here (http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/news/columnists/gerry_hostetler/12938051.htm). May Mr. Heath rest in peace.
IT'S A MATTER OF LIFE...
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Hockey fan made career of cheering his Checkers
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Willie Heath had missed only 1 game in about a dozen years
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GERRY HOSTETLER
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He would have been happy at the Pineville Ice House on Saturday. Not because his Charlotte Checkers lost to the Columbia Inferno by a single point, but because they had played at all. Win, lose or start a fight, they were his team.
Willie Eugene Heath Jr., who may have been the Checkers' all-time No. 1 fan, died Sept. 13 at age 63. The diabetes that struck 25 years ago slowly and methodically claimed toes, several fingers, his feet and legs; even stole part of his eyesight. But his enthusiasm for his team never faltered nor waned. He was so looking forward to the beginning of this new season.
"He was buried in his jersey," said nephew Alan King, "and asked that the pallbearers wear them as well. We did. All-in-all, close to 20 people at the graveside service donned jerseys over suits and ties."
Before diabetes sidelined Willie in 1993, he worked at PYA Monarch in produce and, for the past 22 years, in the freezer section. In the 1960s he worked in the produce department at the old Park `n' Shop on Wilkinson Boulevard, where he met Mary Elizabeth, a high school student who worked part-time in his department. Both were 18.
It took about a year but his nerve finally kicked in and he invited her to a concert at the old coliseum. They married in 1963 and added Mary Jean (Young) and son Billy to the family.
Dedicated fisherman
"He would go fishing at the drop of a hat," Mary said. Willie fished the local ponds and lakes, and later enjoyed fishing at the coast. "He'd get up at 5 a.m. and sit on the pier, fish for several hours, come home when it got hot then go back and fish some more."He nearly and narrowly missed getting hooked on hockey. "Years ago, an aunt and uncle invited us to a game," Mary said. "We went, and it was really a dull game. My aunt called me that night and said we went to a bad game, but when we play Greensboro, be sure to go to that game. We went back -- and he was hooked."
Since the team started back up about a dozen years ago, Mary said, Willie missed only one game. And that was because he was in Arkansas when it was played.
He managed the doctors
Willie spent lots of time in hospitals for first one thing, then another. But he always managed to manipulate dates and doctors so he could watch his boys skate and skitter the puck. "He'd sit there so sick he couldn't hold his head up, but he'd go to the games." He didn't miss one last year at all, his wife said.
No wonder. If Willie had to go to the hospital, he made sure he checked in the morning after the game. If there was a game scheduled that night, he coerced the doctor to discharge him before 3 p.m. so he could make it to the arena.
Willie's loyalty to the Checkers did not go unrewarded. When the team won the national league championship for the 1995-96 season, trainer Sal Lombardi visited the team's slapshot fan in the hospital. He brought the league trophy and championship ring for Willie to see. "He tried the ring on," Mary said. "He enjoyed that."
The Checkers cared right back; they sent flowers to Willie's funeral.
He wore the Checkers jersey for his funeral and Mary made sure he had his matching all-time favorite cap.
That would be the one you know, with all the players' autographs on it.
Gerry
Hostetler
IT'S A MATTER OF LIFE...
http://www.charlotte.com/images/common/spacer.gif
Hockey fan made career of cheering his Checkers
http://www.charlotte.com/images/common/spacer.gif
Willie Heath had missed only 1 game in about a dozen years
http://www.charlotte.com/images/common/spacer.gif
GERRY HOSTETLER
http://www.charlotte.com/images/common/spacer.gif
He would have been happy at the Pineville Ice House on Saturday. Not because his Charlotte Checkers lost to the Columbia Inferno by a single point, but because they had played at all. Win, lose or start a fight, they were his team.
Willie Eugene Heath Jr., who may have been the Checkers' all-time No. 1 fan, died Sept. 13 at age 63. The diabetes that struck 25 years ago slowly and methodically claimed toes, several fingers, his feet and legs; even stole part of his eyesight. But his enthusiasm for his team never faltered nor waned. He was so looking forward to the beginning of this new season.
"He was buried in his jersey," said nephew Alan King, "and asked that the pallbearers wear them as well. We did. All-in-all, close to 20 people at the graveside service donned jerseys over suits and ties."
Before diabetes sidelined Willie in 1993, he worked at PYA Monarch in produce and, for the past 22 years, in the freezer section. In the 1960s he worked in the produce department at the old Park `n' Shop on Wilkinson Boulevard, where he met Mary Elizabeth, a high school student who worked part-time in his department. Both were 18.
It took about a year but his nerve finally kicked in and he invited her to a concert at the old coliseum. They married in 1963 and added Mary Jean (Young) and son Billy to the family.
Dedicated fisherman
"He would go fishing at the drop of a hat," Mary said. Willie fished the local ponds and lakes, and later enjoyed fishing at the coast. "He'd get up at 5 a.m. and sit on the pier, fish for several hours, come home when it got hot then go back and fish some more."He nearly and narrowly missed getting hooked on hockey. "Years ago, an aunt and uncle invited us to a game," Mary said. "We went, and it was really a dull game. My aunt called me that night and said we went to a bad game, but when we play Greensboro, be sure to go to that game. We went back -- and he was hooked."
Since the team started back up about a dozen years ago, Mary said, Willie missed only one game. And that was because he was in Arkansas when it was played.
He managed the doctors
Willie spent lots of time in hospitals for first one thing, then another. But he always managed to manipulate dates and doctors so he could watch his boys skate and skitter the puck. "He'd sit there so sick he couldn't hold his head up, but he'd go to the games." He didn't miss one last year at all, his wife said.
No wonder. If Willie had to go to the hospital, he made sure he checked in the morning after the game. If there was a game scheduled that night, he coerced the doctor to discharge him before 3 p.m. so he could make it to the arena.
Willie's loyalty to the Checkers did not go unrewarded. When the team won the national league championship for the 1995-96 season, trainer Sal Lombardi visited the team's slapshot fan in the hospital. He brought the league trophy and championship ring for Willie to see. "He tried the ring on," Mary said. "He enjoyed that."
The Checkers cared right back; they sent flowers to Willie's funeral.
He wore the Checkers jersey for his funeral and Mary made sure he had his matching all-time favorite cap.
That would be the one you know, with all the players' autographs on it.
Gerry
Hostetler