In Memoriam
John F. Heintz
John Heintz ’64 died on January 4, 2026. Here is his obituary and also essays that he wrote for three reunion books.
- Obituary, Los Angeles Times
- Essay, 60th Reunion Book
- Essay, 50th Reunion Book
- Essay, 25th Reunion Book
Obituary
Los Angeles Times
published January 15, 2026
John Heintz
1964 Yale graduation
John F. Heintz: February 28, 1943 - January 4, 2026.
The most rewarding part of life for John was raising a family of two daughters and two sons with his wife Maureen after their marriage in 1979. He enjoyed every bit of the adventure from strollers to preschool, soccer coaching, science-fair projects, Scouts, graduations, weddings, and becoming a grandparent. His favorite family vacations were to Mammoth Lakes in the Sierra Nevada and to Sunriver in Oregon for skiing in the winter and hiking, fishing, and climbing in the summer. Maureen’s dedication to family was a joy and a bond.
John was born and raised in Los Angeles, and his early years soared with the upswing of joyous living in Southern California following WWII. With an engineer father and fully equipped home workshop, John displayed budding talents in science and technology. He was a two-sport varsity athlete at the Webb School of California and Yale College. He returned to Los Angeles and thoroughly enjoyed SoCal life — living on the beach, driving a motorcycle and Porsche, sporting an impressive handlebar mustache, scuba diving, and playing lacrosse — and soon met the love of his life, Maureen.
John Heintz
in recent years
John’s training in physics and math from Yale formed a solid basis for a career in technology and engineering. At Hughes Aircraft in the 1960s-80s, he invented many of the technologies and space systems that are still key to our nation’s defense today. Later in his career, he founded a consulting firm to provide high-end design and advisory services in satellites and sensors while employing old friends and colleagues. In 2020, John joined The Aerospace Corporation as a Chief Architect designing new space systems supporting the Space Force. He never retired and believed in the importance of these contributions.
Aviation was an enduring passion. Beginning in 1968, he flew and maintained a beautiful Cessna 195 radial-engine tailwheel airplane and was always tinkering with and improving it. He designed upgrades for old airplanes such as the 195 and had three supplemental type certificates (STCs, formal FAA approvals for a modification) to his credit. A 50+ year pilot, he flew much of the US, Western Canada, and Mexico, from Baja California to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. He also was a masterful stick-and-rudder pilot of a friend’s 1943 Stearman biplane, which allowed him to do formation flying and aerobatics in a classic open cockpit.
The outdoors always beckoned. John was an avid adventurer and completed the last portion of the John Muir Trail he hadn’t backpacked in his 70s. He hiked down the Grand Canyon to the Colorado River and spent six days white water rafting, also in his 70s. An expert decades-long double-black-diamond skier, he last charged Mammoth Mountain’s Cornice Bowl at 82. His motto was, “Never give up!” John did all the things he loved — family events, work, flying, skiing, running, hiking, teaching rock climbing, and studying geology — with consistency, dedication, sincerity, and pure joy.
John’s intellect and integrity, together, were his highest values.
John is survived by his wife, Maureen, and children Kelly, Molly, Jack, and Wil and their spouses. He has eight grandchildren: Louise, Johnny, Mae, Rory, Darra, Connor, Bonnie, Mabel, and one more on the way. He is also survived by his brothers, Bruce and Bob, and sister, Kathy.
Essay, 60th Reunion Book
by John Heintz
May 2024
“Keep On Trucking”
I can still do the things I love including family events, work, flying, skiing, hiking, teaching rock climbing, and studying geology. Maybe not as fast, steep, or risky as previously, but still fun.
The latest family tradition is an annual week vacation in Sunriver OR with the entire family including all seven grandchildren. Our youngest son and his wife flew from Los Angeles to Sunriver with me this year in my 1940s radial-engine airplane.
I am still having fun at work. I closed my aerospace consulting business in 2020 and now work as a “Chief Architect” (designing new space systems) at The Aerospace Corporation, supporting the Space Force. If you keep learning, you can know a lot and stay on top of the latest technology. There are a lot of challenges in space in this new Cold War and I enjoy contributing solutions.
I fly and maintain my Cessna 195 radial-engine tailwheel airplane. My favorite trip is the two-hour flight to Mammoth Mountain for skiing. I design upgrades for these old airplanes and have three STCs (formal FAA approval for a modification) to my credit. I have flown this airplane from Cabo San Lucas, Baja California to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska.
I teach rock climbing, rigging, and safety to Boy Scout adult leaders so they can take Scouts climbing. My biggest personal climbing experience was a 250-foot rappel off the Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles for a Scout fundraising event.
I look forward to seeing all of you at our reunion! Keep On Trucking!
Essay, 50th Reunion Book
by John Heintz
May 2014
The most rewarding part of life for me has been raising a family of two daughters and two sons with my wife Maureen after our marriage in 1979. I have enjoyed every bit of the adventure from Lamaze class to the soccer coaching to the science-fair projects to the nail biting on college admissions. Both daughters, Kelly ’04 and Molly ’06 attended Yale, which allowed me to reconnect with my college memories. My proudest moment was walking Kelly down the aisle three years ago and I am looking forward to Molly’s wedding. Both sons, Jack and Wil, attended Northwestern and introduced me to the Midwest and Chicago. Our favorite family vacations are to Mammoth Mountain in the Sierras for skiing in the winter and hiking, fishing, and climbing in the summer. Maureen’s dedication to family has been a joy and a bond.
I had the opportunity both for adventures and working far too hard during my single days before starting a family. At Hughes Aircraft in the 1960-80’s we had the opportunity to invent many of the technologies and the space systems that still are key to the nation’s defense. Factors of ten improvements in performance were accomplished in a year’s time in those days. Later in my career, I founded Systems Engineering Associates and have had a good run providing high-end consulting services in satellites and sensors, while employing old friends and colleagues from earlier days.
Aviation had been an enduring passion of mine since I spent most of my grammar-school career folding paper airplanes. My first light-aircraft ride was during our junior year at Yale from a senior whose name I have lost in the fog of time. I have owned, flown, maintained, and modified a classic Cessna 195 aircraft since 1968, flying over much of the USA, Canada, and Mexico. I also fly a friend’s 1943 Stearman biplane which allows me to do formation flying and aerobatics. After many years of Boy Scout adventures with my sons, I still teach rock climbing to Scout adult leaders. The outdoors still beckons. I just returned from hiking down the Grand Canyon to the Colorado River and spending six days white water rafting. There is still time for us old guys to have adventures and check off the bucket list.
Yale, and particularly the bull sessions, provided a basis to understand and deal with the change and conflict we have seen the last 50 years. The physics and math training I received formed a solid and still valid basis for a career in technology and engineering. The money and banking course, which I thought was purely academic, has been front and center with financial crises and Fed interventions. We are so lucky to have developed critical thinking skills at Yale, where intellect and integrity, together, are the highest values.
I would like to thank Yale and all of my classmates for the great experiences.
Essay, 25th Reunion Book
by John Heintz
May 1989
Time and timing are far more important in life that I had ever imagined at Yale. I have been lucky indeed to have come up with good personal timing on a few of life's important choices. Of course, I blew a few opportunities as you shall see.
The '60s and '70s were the right time for the Southern California beach and bachelor lifestyle and my timing was perfect. This also was the time to buy Southern California beach real estate. But, I didn't touch the overpriced stuff — ah timing!
I was very fortunate to arrive on the aerospace scene just in time to help pioneer the development of space infrared technology and its application to scientific and military uses. After the previous runup in the beach real-estate prices, I wasn't about to touch such a bad deal in the '70s — ah timing!.
The decade of the '80s has been the right time for marriage, family, and child rearing in my life. Marriage and parenthood have been extremely satisfying experiences for me with no apparent downside due to age. Meeting Maureen was the best timing of all — she makes me laugh and love. I did succumb to demographics in the '80s and bought a house — but not on the beach.
The personal challenge of time and the next decade for me will be to retain the enthusiasm, flexibility, and vigor to raise a young family — and to find the timing to buy beach property before it goes up!
I think our class was lucky to attend Yale at the time we did. We were indeed fortunate to carry with us during our 25-year journey through a changing America the compass of values, understanding, and friendships formed at Yale.