STEPHEN N. HEINZ MEMORIAL AWARD

A Brief History

Stephen N. Heinz

1936-1989

At the Annual Convention held on May 20, 1990, to fill the vacancy created by Stephen N. Heinz’s death, Brother Don Hansen, the Grand Recording Secretary, was elected as the 16th Grand President of the LBA, succeeding interim Grand President Joe Puetz.

Don was the first member of Section 15 elected to the Grand Presidency. To fill the vacancy of Joe Puetz as Grand Vice-President, Joseph Murphy, Sr. of Section 8 was elected. He is the son-in-law of the venerable Nick and Ceal Hoffmann. Joe remains a member of Section 8 to this day.

George Meyers, Jr., of Section 3 was elected Grand Secretary, and Bob May of Section 21 retained his office as Grand Treasurer. Tony Schinler, Rich Hoffmann, and Steve Simon, Sr., were elected as Grand Trustees.

At this Convention, the Delegates initiated an award named in honor of the late Grand President Stephen N. Heinz, who exemplified all the great qualities of leadership, including a positive attitude, honesty, commitment, and a sense of humor. Stephen had these qualities in spades. He was especially committed to his heritage, as both of his parents emigrated from Luxembourg.

In his dealings with the Luxembourg community, his word was his bond. No handshakes were necessary, and his humor was contagious. He always took himself seriously at the appropriate times but never conveyed any sense of superiority.

At his funeral on October 2, 1989, Richard J. Witry, then Vice-Consul of Luxembourg, stated:

“Besides caring for his family, his life was devoted to the Luxembourg nation which gave birth to his parents. He joined Section 8 of the Luxembourg Brotherhood in 1952. In 1965, at the age of 29, he was elected the 14th Grand President of the LBA, the youngest man to ever hold that office, a post he would hold for 24 years, longer than any of his 13 predecessors. The affection and esteem in which Stephen was held by his brothers in the Luxembourg Brotherhood is further demonstrated by the large number of us who are here today. Those of us who are left behind are challenged to carry on Stephen’s work, thereby ensuring, as he wrote in the LBA Centennial Book, … that the sons & grandsons of the present membership will celebrate, one hundred years from now, the Bicentennial of the LBA.”

A committee appointed by the Grand President would seek meritorious candidates among the Sections. The committee established the criteria for the award. The first awards would be presented at the convention to be held in 1991.

The criteria employed by the Committee in selecting the winner are:

Stephen’s widow, Doris Heinz Wendling, was requested to bestow the honor on the winners at the yearly meeting of the Supreme Assembly. In the early years of the award, a nominated member from each section would be honored.

Honored Recipients

Below are all of the recipients of the STEPHEN N. HEINZ MEMORIAL AWARD in recognition of outstanding and dedicated service in promoting the programs and general welfare of the Luxembourg Brotherhood of America.

In 1994, it was determined by the Grand Lodge to select only one member from among those candidates nominated by each Section. Following are the award winners from 1994 to 2012:

In 2013 this celebratory year, it was decided to honor three members for their meritorious service: Paul Krantz from Section 3, David Hoffmann from Section 8, and Grand President Linda Hansen Heinz from Section 15. David Hoffmann was cited for his work with the Luxembourg News in aid of previous winner, Maryann Hughes, who retired as Editor in 2012.

A review of the roster of recipients of the Stephen N. Heinz Award reveals men and women dedicated to the proposition articulated by the late Grand President Stephen N. Heinz that the LBA continues to exist so that our descendants will continue to celebrate their heritage and the LBA’s sesquicentennial celebration in thirteen years from now, in October 2037, and the bi-centennial sixty-three years from now, in October 2087. The LBA is grateful for their participation in its affairs and thanks them for the many selfless hours spent on its behalf.

Below is a FULL list of all recipients from 1991 – 2024.

If you or a loved one have a picture of any of these award winners that you would like to update or share on this page, please email: [email protected]

This article was written & edited by Richard J. Witry & Nick C. King.