[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 11730]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       REMEMBERING CHERYLL HEINZE

 Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I am saddened to inform the 
Senate of the death of a friend and former member of the Alaska 
Legislature Cheryll Heinze. Cheryll died last week when a float plane 
that was carrying her and colleagues to a fishing outing cartwheeled on 
landing and became submerged on Beluga Lake near Homer. At the time 
Cheryll was working as Director of Human Resources and Public Relations 
for the Matanuska Electric Association.
  It is appropriate that we remember those whose lives end in tragedy 
for the way they lived their lives so I want to take the next few 
minutes to speak in tribute to an Alaskan who lived life to the 
fullest.
  Cheryll Heinze was born in Wewoka, OK. She spent part of her 
childhood in Anchorage when her father was an Army Chaplain at Fort 
Richardson. In 1985, Cheryll returned to be an Alaskan for life. Most 
of her time in Alaska was spent in Anchorage but she also lived in 
Slana, Talkeetna and Valdez. Cheryll was married to Harold Heinze, the 
former President of ARCO Alaska. The two met when Harold was serving as 
Alaska's Commissioner of Natural Resources under former Governor Walter 
Hickel. Cheryll served as Press Secretary on Governor Hickel's 1990 
campaign. The two made quite a power couple.
  In 2002, Cheryll was elected to the 23rd Alaska Legislature 
representing House District 24 in Anchorage. Although she served a 
single 2-year term, she accomplished a great deal during her time in 
Juneau. During that term she chaired the Special Committee on Economic 
Development, International Trade and Tourism and was Vice Chair of the 
Resources Committee.
  Cheryll is best known for working with colleagues across the aisle in 
moving Alaska's anti-stalking law out of the legislature and to the 
Governor's desk. Her bill allowed victims of stalking to obtain 
protective orders in the same way that victims of domestic violence 
could in the State of Alaska. Cheryll was also a strong supporter of 
therapeutic courts and passed a resolution encouraging prosecutors and 
public defenders to take full advantage of this important resource. She 
worked to make health insurance more affordable to small employers and 
helped promote trade relations between Alaska and Taiwan.
  Cheryll was well liked by those inside and outside of the political 
circle and was viewed as a genuinely nice person. A mutual friend, Mike 
Chenault of Nikiski, who served with Cheryll in the Alaska House and is 
today the House Speaker had this to say about Cheryll: ``She had a 
light smile and an easy way about her that made her popular not only 
inside, but outside the Capitol.''
  Alaska takes pride in the fact that our Legislature is composed of 
citizens who come to Juneau for a few months each year to do the 
business of the State and then return home to carry on their own lives. 
Art was central to Cheryll Heinze's life. In fact, her official 
legislative biography lists her profession as ``Artist.'' In fact, she 
was a world class oil painter who took inspiration from Alaska's 
fabulous scenery. Her painting of Mount Foraker hung in the offices of 
the Foraker Group, a consulting group that supports Alaska's non-profit 
sector. We also took pride in Cheryll's poetry.
  In addition to all of her other activities she was a former President 
of the Anchorage Symphony League, a board member of the Pacific 
Northern Academy and Breast Cancer Focus, Inc., a member of the Alaska 
Pacific University President's Steering Committee, and an Art 
Instructor at the University of Alaska Rural Extension. She was a 
member of the Anchorage Opera Board, the World Affairs Council and the 
Matanuska Charitable Foundation Board. Cheryll brought energy and 
enthusiasm to all she did.
  I extend the Senate's deepest condolences to Harold and other members 
of the family. Cheryll left us well before her time but in a way that 
is so appropriate for Alaskans--in pursuit of adventure. Alaskans have 
lost a friend and a leader and she will be greatly missed.

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