Richard W. (Dick) Heim

Richard (Dick) W. Heim, age 90, was received into the loving arms of his Heavenly Father on May 8, 2015 in Albuquerque, New Mexico as the sun was rising over the Sandia Mountains. Dick was born August 12, 1924 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Audrey Ann Goralski Heim & his 9 children; Mary Barnes & husband Michael, Susie Chiado & husband Joe, Lori Forseth & husband Hal, Tom Heim & wife Maureen, Rick Heim & wife Kathy, Stephanie Glover & husband Phil, Theresa Smith & husband Andrew, Jerry Heim & wife Maureen, Anne Marie Dunton; 34 grandchildren & 8 great grandchildren. He also is survived by his sister, Ruth Prestby, brothers, Jack & Ray Heim & their spouses, & many nieces & nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; John & Loretta Heim, his brother, Tom, his sisters, Genevieve Thompson, Margaret Zellner & their husbands, & his adopted daughter, Lillian Kennison. He devoted each day to God, family & service to others with a twinkle in his eye, a smile on his face & joy in his heart. He positively impacted the lives of many. While serving in the military, he moved to Albuquerque in 1949. Except for two stints in the Washington D.C area totaling 6 years, he has been a devoted New Mexican his entire life. Dick had the unique distinction of serving in non-career appointed positions in every level of government: city, county, state and federal as well as in every branch of government. He often joked that "if you live by the vote, you die by the vote, and I died 3 times." At the local level, he served as the Personnel Director of the City of Albuquerque & as Bernalillo County Manager. At the state level, he served under Governors Bruce King & Jerry Apodoca as the Executive Director of the Health & Social Services & Environment Dept. & as a Cabinet Secretary of the Human Services Dept. At the federal level, he was an Administrative Assistant to U.S. Senator Clinton P. Anderson & was the National Director of Medicaid & Director of Intergovernmental Affairs within the U.S. Department of Health, Education & Welfare. In between government appointments, he served in the private sector in executive positions in banking, health care, & as a self-employed healthcare policy consultant. He also taught at UNM. In addition, he served on numerous non-profit boards & commissions, including the NM Medical Board, the Total Community Care Board, the PB& J Board, & Center for Action & Contemplation Board. A Rosary will be held Thursday evening, May 14, at 7:00 pm at FRENCH-Lomas. A Memorial Mass will be held at Our Lady of Annunciation Catholic Church on Friday, May 15, 2015 at 10:30 am with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Center for Action & Contemplation, InnovAge Greater New Mexico PACE, Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless, PB & J Family Services, or to any other charity of choice. FRENCH - Lomas 10500 Lomas Blvd NE 505-275-3500