Richard Knowles Heacock Jr ^{1 2}

  General Notes:

Richard K. Heacock Jr. (1926-2010)

Richard Knowles Heacock Jr., oldest surviving son of Richard Knowles and Harriet Derry Heacock, died at his home in Fairbanks on Monday, Aug. 2, 2010. Dick was born in Austin, Texas on Jan. 5, 1926. He grew up with his brothers Edward, Jack and Fred in the Texas towns of Pharr, Floresville, Taft, Yoakum and Laredo before entering Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas.

In 1943, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy , trained to serve as a hospital apprentice first class and was stationed in Saipan as World War II came to an end in the Pacific. Dick was an accomplished clarinetist who won state honors and played in the Heacock Family Band for church services. Dick's marriage to Edwina Heinsohn was blessed with four wonderful daughters: Luanne, Lorelle, Linnea and Lavonne.

Dick's ministry began at the Ingleside Methodist Church across the bay from Corpus Christi. When the missionary bishop of Alaska called to invite him to serve, he and Edwina quickly accepted the appointment to serve as an associate for Anchorage First Church, then for 10 years he served as pastor for the Juneau Methodist Church at the state capitol.

Edwina suffered a fatal stroke, so Dick and his four Ls made their way back to Austin where the elder Heacocks and Heinsohns could watch the youngsters while Dick worked to put life back together. Dick took an appointment as program director with the Church Center for the United Nations, married Barbara Lovelace of Denver, and brought the family to New York. Dick and Barbara added a son to the family, Eric Austin Heacock.

After stints at the Manor, Oak Park and Fannin United Methodist churches in the Southwest Texas Conference, the bishop of Alaska once again called Dick to serve as pastor of the Fairbanks First United Methodist Church. After seven years there, he took retirement status and began a 20-year volunteer service as editor of the monthly newsletter, PREPARE. Dick was a speed reader, had a keen mind, the passion of an Old Testament prophet and used the newsletter to inform, wheedle, arouse and otherwise stimulate churches, synagogues and cathedrals in Alaska to take on public issues that demanded the conscience of the people. Dick read four to six books each week, probed behind the issues, informed church leaders and provided voluminous reading lists to keep his public informed. His readers were among the best-informed anywhere.

Two days after he mailed his last issue of PREPARE, Dick entered the hospital ICU. Eight days later, he gave his body permission to let it go in peace. He had consulted with his doctor about end of life issues. Because of congestive heart failure, he and his doctor put their plan into effect. He used his last viable energy to complete his life work of justice for all.
A service was held Tuesday, Aug. 10, at First United Methodist Church.
Arrangements were entrusted to Fairbanks Funeral Home.

Published in Daily News-Miner on August 11, 2010

Richard married Edwina Heinsohn, daughter of Edmund Heinsohn and Lollie Caroline Grimes. (Edwina Heinsohn was born on 8 Oct 1930 in , Williamson County, Texas,⁴ died in Nov 1964 ⁵ and was buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Juneau, Juneau Borough, Alaska, United States ⁶.). The cause of her death was stroke.