Clifford S. Heinz, Jr. ’37 (1919-2015)

Heinz passed away on September 22, 2015. He was 96 years old. A memorial service was held on November 15, at Big Canyon Country Club in Newport Beach.

 

“Clifford was the grandson of our beloved Heinz founder, H.J. Heinz, and was a brilliant businessman and benevolent philanthropist,” said Michael Mullen, senior vice president of corporate and public affairs for The Kraft Heinz Company.

Heinz was one of the country’s leading benefactors of ethics education for children. He founded The Heinz Fellowship in Ethical Education at Webb and at the Polytechnic School in Pasadena. At Webb, he also established The Clifford S. Heinz Ethical Education Endowment Fund.

In addition, he made a leadership gift to the Alf Museum in 1997 which set in motion the renovations that helped the institution secure national accreditation in 1998. And he was a stalwart supporter of The Webb Fund for which he issued several generous gift challenges including a Heinz Honor Challenge in 2001. In total, Heinz contributed more than $1 million to Webb in his lifetime and is a member of The Legacy Hall of Fame.

The 1937 El Espejo yearbook, described him as “an exacting critic … and if he continues to exert the fine type of influence that he has shown while at Webb, he will undoubtedly attain the success in business that he desires.”

Heinz attended Stanford University and completed his B.S.E. at the University of Pennsylvania-Wharton School in 1941. He contributed to the World War II effort through work at Hamilton Standard Propeller, a division of United Aircraft Corporation, as well as Brewster Aeronautical Corporation where he was a project manager for the bomber division.

A self-made man, he later amassed his fortune in manufacturing, land development and finance. As an entrepreneur he started a wide range of companies and was always confident about his ability to manage anything – his two favorite mottos were "It can be done" and "Not if, but how."

He has funded programs for the study of economics and peace, including a Chair for the Economics and Public Policy of Peace at the University of California, Irvine and he also counted among his friends, the Dalai Lama – when the Dalai Lama won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, he was awakened with the news at Heinz’s home in Newport Beach, where he was a guest.

“Cliff was one of the most loyal and thoughtful donors in the history of our schools,” said Head of Schools Taylor Stockdale. “He deeply understood the ethos and importance of Webb’s mission and values, namely to develop the highest standards of honor by teaching and modeling virtues of enduring worth: honesty, responsibility, respect, fairness and compassion.”

Heinz is survived by his beloved Barbro; son Robert and wife Elizabeth; Caroline and husband Amre; Lisa and husband Richard; and Jeanette; and eight grandchildren.