David Hettler

HETTLER, David Arnas, 49, of West Hills, Calif., died peacefully at home on Saturday, February 27, 2010, after a courageous fight against brain cancer. Born in Berea, Ohio on September 2, 1960, to Robert and Saide Hettler, and raised in Midland, Mich. and Walnut Creek, Calif., Dave graduated in 1982 from Claremont McKenna College with a bachelor of arts degree in economics/ accounting. A four year varsity basketball player at Claremont, at 6'10" Dave was an imposing presence on the court and a visible leader on the campus. After graduation, Dave joined the "Big Eight" accounting firm of Arthur Young (now Ernst & Young), where he earned his CPA and rose to the position of senior manager. In 1993 Dave joined Warner Bros. and during his tenure at the studio his responsibilities included oversight of financial activities for Warner Bros.' international theaters, international theme parks, retail stores, and consumer products businesses, ultimately serving in the role of Executive Vice President, Worldwide Finance and I.T. for Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group. Additionally, Dave served as a member of the management team overseeing the implementation of Warner Bros.' SAP finance and procurement system worldwide. A dedicated and often selfless executive, Dave played an indispensable role in guiding Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group through the economic storms of the past several years. At Warner Bros. he is remembered as "a strikingly effective leader, kind and helpful to everyone he encountered." Dave enjoyed traveling with his family and many of their vacations included an opportunity to pursue sports. Whether skiing with his family in Whistler or surfing with his children in Hawaii, Dave always enjoyed time spent with his family. Annual family reunions each summer to the Outer Banks, N.C. were a treat for him to spend a week with his extended family. Dave had a passion for music, fitness, and weekend pick up basketball games with friends. He lived life to its fullest. As stated recently by his alma mater, Dave "was in the finest sense of the words a gentle giant of a man." He always thought of others before himself and had a tremendous positive impact on everyone who was fortunate enough to have known him. He will be greatly missed. Dave is survived by his wife, Sheri; his son, Shane; and his daughter, Shelby; his parents, Robert and Saide of Midlothian; his brother, Neil and his wife, Karen, and their three sons, Matthew, Ben and David of Granville, Ohio; and his sister, Barbara and her husband, Steve Womack, and their two daughters, Samantha and Celeste of Midlothian, Va. A memorial service and reception celebrating Dave's life was held Saturday, March 6, 2010 at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in North Hollywood. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Dave's memory either to UCLA's Neuro-Oncology Program, "Art of the Brain," 710 Westwood Plaza, RNRC #1-230, Los Angeles, Calif. 90095, or to "The David Hettler Memorial Scholarship Fund" at Claremont McKenna College, 400 N. Claremont Blvd., Claremont, Calif. 91711.


This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.