WILLIAM A. HEILMAN Kennewick. W A

William A. ''Bill'' Heilman, 94, of Kennewick, WA passed away April 11, 2004 at Avalon Rehabilitation Center in Pasco, WA following hip replacement surgery. He was born May 1, 1909 to Casper and Sophia Michels Heilman in Norwalk, WI. Bill moved with his parents to Wilton, WI in 1923 where he graduated from High School in 1927. He was united in marriage to Wilma E. Radke, also of Wilton, on June 3, 1937 at St. Augustines Catholic Church in Norwalk.

Bill was an independent retail businessman in the small farming community of Wilton all of his working life. Following high school he owned and operated a shoe store and shoe repair business until the middle 1930's. He and Wilma then started up an IGA grocery store in 1938 and operated it until 1965 when they sold the business to another local businessman. They then purchased a hardware business located across the street from the grocery. He operated the hardware store until his retirement in 1973, when he sold it to a neighbor.

Following retirement, Bill and Wilma purchased a winter home in Lakeland, FL and became winter ''snowbirds'' until health concerns prevented further travel in 1994. Bill learned to play golf in his mid-fifties and was the proud holder of three ''hole- in-one'' honors. He was also active in sports in his youth, playing both baseball and basketball in high school, and continuing baseball with a City League team for several years following school. He loved to hunt and fish and always looked forward to a week at North Sand Lake in northern Wisconsin each summer with his family. The annual November deer season also called him away from his businesses a few days each year.

In addition to his business interests, Bill was very active in his community. He served on the Wilton Village Board for several years, and was President of the Wilton School Board during a period when a new high school was constructed. Bill was a member of the St. John's Catholic Church council, and was President of the St. John's Cemetery Association and served as cemetery caretaker for several years. He was also an active member of the Wilton Lions Club.

In 1990, Bill and Wilma decided to sell their lifelong family home and move to Richland, WA to be nearer to two of their three sons who had moved west several years before. They lived in their home in North Richland where Bill became caregiver for his lovely wife as her health deteriorated. Following a fall which broke his right hip in late 1996, they decided to move to the Royal Columbian Retirement Inn in Kennewick. Wilma passed away in December, 1997 and Bill made the decision to remain at Royal Columbian until the Feb. 19, 2004 fall which broke his left hip and contributed to his eventual death.

Bill is survived by a brother, Adolph, 97 of Austin, TX; three sons, William L. and Marilyn Heilman of Richland, John L. and Beverly Heilman of Cincinnati, OH, and Paul L. Mary Heilman of Redmond, WA; seven grandchildren, Jeffrey J. and Sandy Heilman and Tamara J. and Doug Winters, both of Richland, Debra A. Heilman of Seattle, Nathan J. Heilman of Nashville, TN, Karen E. Heilman of Purdue, IN, Devon A. Heilman of Bellingham, W A and Julie L. Heilman of Seattle, WA; and four great grandchildren, Sarah N. and Samantha M. Heilman and Madison E. and Clayton W. Winters.

In addition to his loving wife he was preceded in death by his parents; four brothers, Lawrence, Norwalk, WI, Faustin J., Oregon City, OR, Harold P. Norwalk, WI and Bernard, Norwalk, WI; and one sister, Clara A. Ziegler, Norwalk, WI.

A rosary will be held at 10:00am on April 16th, 2004 at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Kennewick, WA followed by a memorial mass at 10:30am on April 16th, 2004 at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Kennewick, WA. There will be a lunch after the mass at the church. Burial of the cremated remains will be at St. Johns Cemetery in Wilton, WI at a later date.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the St. John’s Catholic Cemetery Association, P O Box 155, Kendall, WI 54638.