Michael Patrick Heutmaker

Michael Patrick Heutmaker passed away on August 27, 2012. Mike was born in Minneapolis on January 13, 1940 to Norman and Donna Heutmaker. The family moved to Kent, Washington in 1942 and Mike graduated from St. Martins High School in 1958 where he was active in sports, student government and where he served as the Editor-in-Chief of the campus newspaper. After serving in the Marine Corps Reserves, Mike briefly attended Seattle University. Mike married Marijean Day in 1959 and began his career at his father's glass company, Valley Glass. Mike founded Northwest Aluminum Products in 1969 and, after a very successful career in the window business, Mike sold his company in 1987.

Mike was preceded in death by his parents and by his daughter, Michelle Hamilton. He is survived by his wife of almost 53 years, Marijean and their four children and spouses, Jeffrey and his wife, Margaret Kearney, Jeana Mabin and her husband Patrick, Jill Chi and her husband, John, and Meriann Heutmaker. His grandchildren include Marissa and Corey Hamilton, Jonathan, Samuel, Maria and Lucia Heutmaker, Darin and Dylan Mabin, Elizabeth, Micah and Christian Chi, and Meriann's children, Sophia and Grace Meryhew.

Mike is also survived by three brothers and sisters-in-law, Norman "Whiz" and Sheila, Richard and JoAnn and Joseph and Linda, and two sisters and brothers-in-law, Mary and Stephan Sharp and Laurie and Terry Escott. He also had many nieces and nephews.

Mike loved spending time with his family, playing cards, traveling, golfing, reading, watching the Mariners, playing cribbage with his lifelong friend, Bryant Higgins, and telling stories, especially to his grandchildren.

Mike was known for his visionary leadership in the window business, his patience in teaching others, his ability to always find the good in everyone he met, and his unending generosity, including helping others to get their start in business, and culminating in his last wish to donate his organs so that others might live longer and fuller lives.

Mike's family would like to thank Father Ed, Father Brian, John Burton and the St. Stephen's choirs, the staff and community of St. Stephen's for their generosity and kindness, the Polson emergency response team, the hospital staff of St. Joseph's medical center, and the staff of Grogan Funeral Home in Polson, Montana. Mike's family would also like to give special thanks and acknowledgement to Marijean's brothers and sisters for their love and support.

In lieu of flowers the family requests remembrances be made to St. Stephen the Martyr Parish, 13055 SE 192nd St, Renton, Washington 98058.

Post Script: I know that there are many of you that want to know the circumstances of my dad's death, so I thought I would give you some of the background about his visit to Montana and what we were doing when he died. First of all, my wife, Margaret, and I were at a wedding in Portland over the weekend and my dad had agreed to come out with his best friend, Bryant, so that he could be there with the kids while we were away. When Margaret and I returned from Portland, on Monday the 27th of August, my dad, Bryant and I decided to go golfing and, as it was a beautiful evening (and dad had been working out and eating well), we decided to walk nine holes. We played what locals call "the first nine on the new side," which means we were playing holes 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17 and 18. We had just teed off on our 7th hole (#16) when my mom called my cell phone. As I was talking with her, my dad was playing his second shot. I saw him hit his ball and then I watched the flight of it. As I turned back to him, I heard a yell and saw that he was on the ground. Bryant called out to me, I told my mom I had to go and ran to my dad. Bryant and I began to give him CPR and called 911 right away. The emergency medical team had a hard time getting to us on the golf course, so we continued to perform CPR until they arrived. Once they arrived, they went through their procedures, but they weren't able to revive him. He was pronounced dead at the hospital shortly after he arrived there.

I don't mean to sound at all trite when I say this, but I would guess, if my dad had had to decide how he was going to die, he might have just picked a beautiful August day playing golf on the shores of Flathead Lake with his best friend and his son at his side. His last shot was straight at the green and Bryant and I went back at 6:15 the next morning to retrieve the ball. I'm pretty sure he would have been able to get up and down for par.

I will miss him so much. Thank you to all for your kind words and prayers.

Jeff
Read Michael Heutmaker's Obituary and Guestbook on www.groganfuneralhome.com.