Howard A. Heinsius passed away Sept. 8.
Howard was born June 3, 1925 in Union City and lived in Rumson for over 40 years before moving to Thornbrooke in Shrewsbury.
Howard had a distinguished career in the hotel and travel profession. After graduating from the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University in 1950, he worked in various capacities in two major New York City hotels until 1952, when he moved to Red Bank to become the sales and marketing director of the Berkeley-Carteret Hotel in Asbury Park and later part of the overall management group.
In 1956, he joined Needham and Grohmann, the largest advertising agency in the country specializing in hotel, resort and hospitality accounts with offices at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. He personally oversaw many prestigious accounts including Hilton Hotels, all Rockefeller resorts, the islands of Nassau and Trinidad, the Greenbrier, the Homestead, and many others.
Howard become president and CEO of the agency in 1971, overseeing a staff of 50 and accounts in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, South America, the Philippines and Europe. In 1978 he purchased the company. In 1991, he merged the agency with another travel advertising agency in Orlando and became president of the New York division.
Howard received numerous awards and honors throughout his career, including the prestigious Albert E. Koehl award for his outstanding contributions to the travel and hospitality advertising profession. He also was honored by the Nassau/Paradise Island Association for his significant contributions to the marketing of The Bahamas. For several years, Howard taught advertising and public relations courses at Cornell Hotel School.
He was a veteran of World War II. He joined the U.S. Air Force and, after training in various installations and training schools, he was attached to the 59th Airborne Troop Carrier Squadron as the radar navigator serving England, France, Germany, Belgium and Trinidad. He was on his way to the Pacific when the atomic bomb was dropped.
Music was a big part of Howard’s life, beginning at an early age as a choir boy in three of the largest Episcopal churches in New York City. He participated in several U.S. Army shows and sang with professional groups on radio. During his Cornell days, he was a soloist with the Cornell University Glee Club.
He loved to play golf with all his friends. He was a member of Deal Golf and Country Club for over 60 years, where he served on the board for many years and later as president. He was also a long-time member of the New Jersey Seniors Golf Association and the Bogey Club.
Howard held many offices and memberships in various companies and associations. He was the past president of New York’s Cornell Society of Hotelmen, served on the board of the Buck Hill Falls Corporation, was a lifetime member of the Cornell University Council, past president of the Jersey Shore Commuter’s Club, a member of Sea Bright Beach Club, a member of the Cornell Club and New York Athletic Club.
He was a devoted and long-time member of St. George’s-by-the-River Episcopal Church in Rumson, having served on the vestry and as a warden and member of the choir.
He was predeceased by his wife Marilyn, daughter Lee, as well as his parents, Henrietta Malone and Walter Heinsius, and a brother Walter Jr.
He is survived by his two daughters, Lynn Heinsius of Tinton Falls and Diane Heinsius Richards and her husband John of Berlin, Connecticut; his granddaughter Ardis Heinsius O’Mara of Shrewsbury; and four great-grandchildren, Mason, Molly, Sean and Adeline; as well as niece Carol Wire and nephew John Heinsius.
A funeral service was held Sept. 11 at St. George’s-by-the-River in Rumson. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Rector’s Discretionary Fund of St. George’s, 7 Lincoln Ave., Rumson, NJ 07760 or the Monmouth County SPCA, 260 Wall St., P.O. Box 92, Eatontown, NJ 07702.
Thompson Memorial Home, Red Bank has been entrusted with the arrangements.
