John Wesley "Jack" Heckenlively

1929 - 2021

John Wesley "Jack" Heckenlively
November 12, 1929 - July 2, 2021
Resident of Indian Wells, CA
John Wesley Heckenlively, known to family and friends as "Jack", passed away on Friday, July 2, 2021, in Indian Wells, California at the age of 91.
Jack was born in Kearney, Nebraska on November 12, 1929, to father Clive Heckenlively and mother Lyda Margaret Heckenlively. As a young Nebraskan, Jack was involved in track, football, and golf, in addition to spending his high-school summers working as a lifeguard.
Jack graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, with a degree in business, which cemented his life-time love (not always) as a "Husker" fan. During the Korean War, he proudly served in the Army and was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, where he also played for the Army golf team.
After leaving the Army, he went to Houston, Texas, to work in mortgage banking with T.J. Bettis Mortgage Company, then after six months transferred to San Francisco, California. While at the 1956 Republican Convention in San Francisco, he met Josephine Noble who was working as the Head of Ushers for the Convention. So began a wonderful life with his marriage to Josephine on July 25, 1959.
Jack and Josephine had two sons, John "Jay" Joseph Noble Heckenlively and Kent Frances Noble Heckenlively. They lived in Orinda, Sacramento, and Alamo, California.
Jack, at age forty, left mortgage banking to finish law school at University of San Francisco and passed the California Bar. He spent time as Of Counsel with Miller, Star and Regalia in Oakland, before working for several years in private practice with his son, Kent. At this same time, Jack and Josephine built and ran seven El Taco Mexican restaurants, which (our family still believes) served the best chips, cheese and chili in the Bay Area!
Second only to family and faith, Jack's love of his life was the game of golf. It embodied character, integrity, camaraderie, effort and, most importantly, being a gentleman – traits which he lived by and are his legacy for future generations. Spending time with Jack on the golf course was an uncluttered time to bond and share - as long as you played quick and didn't talk too much! Jack's passion for the game took his family to beautiful courses throughout USA and Europe and finding a top 100 course in a particular area was always the starting point for vacation planning. Over the years, he loved his times at North Ridge Country Club, Roundhill Country Club, Olympic Club and Monterey Peninsula County Club and cherished the camaraderie with his fellow players. After Josephine's passing in the spring of 1994, he relocated to Indian Wells, California, and finished his golfing chapter at El Dorado Country Club with wonderful friends.
In addition to his sons, Jay and Kent, their wives, Andrea and Linda, he leaves behind five grandchildren, Anna Heckenlively, John Heckenlively, Laura Heckenlively, Jacqueline Heckenlively, and Ben Heckenlively.
A family memorial service is planned in Omaha, Nebraska, for the fall of 2021. In lieu of flowers, any donation to Jack's preferred charity, the American Diabetes Association, would be meaningful.


View the online memorial for John Wesley "Jack" Heckenlively