Traverse City Record-Eagle

Archive: Sunday

February 5, 2012

The Rev. Raymond A. Heine

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LAKE LEELANAU — The Reverend Raymond Arnold Carl Heine, 89, of Lake Leelanau, passed away Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012, surrounded by his family at Munson Medical Center, Traverse City. The Rev. Heine was born in Ft. Wayne, Ind., on May 28, 1922, to William F. and Clara (Gerberding) Heine.

He graduated from Ft. Wayne Central High School, where he was president of the class of 1939. He graduated from Wittenberg College in Springfield, Ohio, in 1943, where he was a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. In 1945 he graduated from Hamma Divinity School and was ordained in the same year. His ordination was at Trinity English Lutheran Church in Ft. Wayne, Ind.

After graduation and ordination his first parish was a three-point parish of Whitestown/New Augusta/Lebanon, Ind. In 1948 he was called as an assistant pastor at Trinity English Lutheran Church in Ft. Wayne, where he served until 1951.

He was then called to serve as pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in Monroe. In 1963 he accepted a call as senior pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Grand Rapids, where he served until 1980 when he was elected to the position of Bishop of the then LCA Michigan Synod.

Following his retirement, he served as interim pastor of conjoined Bethany Lutheran and Immanuel Lutheran in Northport and Suttons Bay. He later served as pastor of Bethany Lutheran Church after the two congregations became independent. After his retirement as pastor at Bethany, he continued to serve in many capacities at Bethany, including singing in the choir.

The Rev. Heine was married on Aug. 25, 1945, to Flora M. Miller, who preceded him in death in October of 2007.

The Rev. Heine is survived by his two children, Ward W. (Meg) Heine, of El Dorado, Kan., and Marian R. Pye, of Livonia; five grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and several beloved nieces and nephews.

He was also preceded in death by his brother, the Rev. Robert Heine; his sister, Esther (Heine) Mulholland; and his son-in-law, Lawrence D. Pye.

Visitation will be Monday, Feb. 6, from 4 to 8 p.m., at the Martinson Funeral Home of Suttons Bay. The funeral service will be held Tuesday, Feb. 7, at 11 a.m., with visitation one hour prior, at Bethany Lutheran Church, Northport. Burial will follow in Beechwood Cemetery, Leland.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be given to Bethany Lutheran Church, PO Box 567, Northport, MI 49670.

Please share thoughts with the Rev. Heine's family on their online guestbook at www.record-eagle.com/obituaries/.

Arrangements are with the Martinson Funeral Home of Suttons Bay.

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