William Michael Heffernan

William Michael Heffernan

Annapolis, MD - William Michael Heffernan, age 80, passed away peacefully on December 4, 2020 at 11:04am in Annapolis, MD surrounded by family.

Bill is survived by his children Karyna Ann Heffernan, Cheryl Heffernan McGlynn (Sean McGlynn), Alisa Lynn Cutter (Thomas Cutter), Taylor Jerome Congleton (Samantha Barrette), Maxwell Blake Heffernan and Parker Thomas William Heffernan. He leaves eight grandchildren, Amber Cutter Liset (Benjamin Liset), Jennifer Brittany Cutter, Maia Alexandra Smith, Kayla Anne Smith, Tess Natasha Smith, Ruby Price Bowles, Brishen Emil Heffernan-Bowles and Leila Paulina Heffernan. He also leaves three great grandchildren, Ezra Thomas Liset, Deckard Asher Liset and Margot Ildiko Liset, and his partner Nancy Williams Phd. He is preceded in death by his parents, his previous wife Ildiko Polony Heffernan and his brother Terrance Heffernan. He will be missed by his nieces and nephew and many, many friends.

He was born August 22, 1940 in St. Raphael's Hospital in New Haven, Connecticut to William Hendrick Heffernan and Cecila (Sally) Ostrowski Heffernan. He grew up in New Haven and actively participated in the New Haven Boys Club where his father was the director. Bill was educated in public schools and then went onto St. Mary's High School under the watchful eyes of Dominican Nuns, as he always reminded us. At St. Mary's High School Bill played football for four years, baseball for two years, and basketball for one year. Bill earned his Bachelor's of Arts Degree from the University of Dayton in 1962 with majors in English, Philosophy, and Political Science, where his love of writing was honed. His love of certain writers including the eclectic mix of Henry Miller, Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, James Faulkner and others, help shape his writer's voice and vision.

From The Home News of New Brunswick, New Jersey and the Buffalo Courier Express, he rose to be one of New York City's most respected investigative reporters working for the New York Daily News and New York Post. He penned major investigative stories including an expose regarding children denied adoption opportunities because agencies wished to maintain a high level of city, state and federal support payments for their care in orphanages; bank and smuggling heists; Son of Sam murders; jailbreaks and many other stories. He was nominated three times for the Pulitzer Prize for his reporting, including an honorable mention in 1973 for an investigation on city corruption, two Heywood Broun Awards, a Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award, and many local, state and regional awards. Bill left journalism in 1978 after receiving his first book contract with Crown Publishers for the novel Broderick.

As a novelist, Bill crafted memorable characters and stories with nineteen novels published worldwide in multiple formats. He was considered by many in the field to have reinvented the murder-mystery format. Many of his books were based on social injustice and his desire for fairness and equality. A principled man, he abhorred corruption and racism and reveled in exposing it. While living in Florida he taught writing to inmates in the Central Florida prisoner system. A program he was passionate about. Raised as a Catholic, he was frustrated by the hypocrisy he witnessed and experienced in the church and often returned to these themes in his work. His third book The Corsican made the best sellers' list. As a novelist, Bill received the Edgar Award, was a member of the Author's Guild, The Mystery Writers of America, and served as president of the International Association of Crime Writers. He sponsored many Cuban writers by aiding them in becoming published.

In addition to growing up in New Haven Bill lived in New Jersey, Buffalo, NY, Brooklyn, NY, Champlain Islands, Vermont, and the Gulf Coast of Florida. He loved the water and enjoyed his boats, The African Queen in Lake Champlain and Lady Karen in the Gulf of Mexico. He and his son Maxwell lived aboard the Lady Karen for several years, and loved their time together on the water. His upbringing in the Boys Club fostered a lifelong love of sports. In addition to being a Cub Scout leader and cheerleader for every single practice and game the kids ever played, he coached his sons' baseball teams for many years and loved his New York teams, the Yankees and the Giants. His greatest happiness was seeing the achievements of his children and grandchildren in so many endeavors. Heffernan dedicated his first book to his father, "who spent his life making sure his sons had opportunities denied to him," and subsequent books to family members and his beloved agent, Gloria Loomis of New York City.

Bill was cremated at John M. Taylor Funeral Home and his ashes will be spread by his family at his favorite locations during a memorial gathering at a later date.

Bill's published works include:

- Broderick (1980)

- Caging the Raven (1981)

- The Corsican (1983)

- Acts of Contrition (1986)

- Blood Rose (a Paul Devlin series book) (1988)

- Ritual (a Paul Devlin series book) (1989)

- Corsican Honor (1991)

- Scarred (a Paul Devlin series book) (1992)

- Tarnished Blue (a Paul Devlin series book) (winner of the Edgar Award for best paperback original) (1993)

- Winter's Gold (a Paul Devlin series book) (1995)

- The Dinosaur Club (1997)

- Cityside (1997)

- Red Angel (a Paul Devlin series book) (1999)

- Beulah Hill (2000)

- Unholy Order (a Paul Devlin series book) (2000)

- A Time Gone By (2003)

- The Dead Detective (2010)

- When Johnny Came Marching Home (2012)

- The Scientology Murders (a Dead Detective series book) (2017)