William (Bill) Heynen

William Heynen passed away in Prescott Valley AZ on February 25, 2014 at the age of 96. A preacher’s kid, Bill was born in Beaver Dam, Michigan, the youngest of seven children. His family settled in the NW Iowa region where his Dutch immigrant father started several small Christian Reformed Churches. Bill graduated from Calvin College in 1940 and Calvin Seminary in 1943. An ordained pastor and gifted preacher, he served churches in Arcadia, California; Patterson and Passaic, New Jersey; Anchorage and Fairbanks, Alaska; Grand Rapids, Michigan; San Antonio, Texas; and Phoenix and Chino Valley, Arizona. His fondest memories were of the 18 years he spent in Anchorage, building churches, raising three children, building cabins at Bonnie Lake, hunting and fishing, and playing an active role in the musical life of the community. A talented baritone, he was often a featured soloist with Anchorage Community Chorus. When Alaska attained statehood in 1958, it was Bill Heynen who led a large group of Anchorage residents gathered around a celebratory bonfire on the city’s Park Strip in singing “The Alaska Flag Song.” He was on the Board of the Alaska Festival of Music and President of the Anchorage Ministerial Fellowship, and for several years he had a weekly TV program, “The Bible for Today,” in Anchorage. He also served as Chaplain at the Palmer Correctional Center and was the “Pronouncer” for Alaska’s annual statewide spelling bee. After retiring from full-time ministry Bill made his home in the Prescott AZ area where he lived for almost 30 years. Bill is survived by his former wife and mother of his children, Ahleen Heynen of Anchorage, daughter Mary Mellema (Joel) of Pasadena, CA, and sons Dan (Gwen) of Palmer, Alaska and David (Nancy) of Anchorage, as well as five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.