Jack Heinz

Heinz II was the father of John Heinz, a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, who died in a 1991 plane crash.

On 23 February 1987, Henry John Heinz II died of cancer at the family's winter home in Hobe Sound, Florida, at the age of 78.

In 1979, Queen Elizabeth II made Heinz an Honorary Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, citing him "for significant contribution in the furtherance of British-American relationships, especially in the cultural, educational and economic fields."

Heinz was one of the original investors in the city's effort to win an NHL franchise, becoming part owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins from 1967 until the early 1970s.

In 1966, Heinz resigned as president and CEO. For the first time in company history, a non-family member, Robert Burt Gookin, was chosen as CEO to manage day-to-day operations. Heinz served as chairman of the board from 1966 until his death.

In 1953, Heinz married Drue Maher, with whom he shared a love of philanthropy, skiing, art collecting, and world travel.

A lifelong Republican, Heinz chaired the U.S. arm of the International Chamber of Commerce from 1948 to 1951. He was tapped by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to head a special aid mission to assess the effectiveness of an emergency economic aid program to Pakistan. He also chaired the U.S. delegation to the Economic Commission for Europe in 1958 and 1959. He was a member of the Steering Committee of the Bilderberg Group.

Heinz started work early in his grandfather's company, learning every aspect of the business. In 1941, he advanced to become president of the Heinz Company upon his father's death of a stroke.

Heinz was the driving force for the creation of downtown Pittsburgh's Cultural District, a major legacy of his work as a philanthropist and community leader. He was the first chairman of the Heinz Endowments, serving from 1941 until his death in 1987. One of his early projects was the conversion and restoration of Loew's Penn Theater to the current Heinz Hall, home of the Pittsburgh Symphony.

Heinz had some early political experience. He served as the Pittsburgh Fire Bureau Chief from 1935 until 1936, and then as Allegheny County Sheriff for Pittsburgh from 1938 until 1942.

Heinz married Joan Diehl, a pioneer aviator, in 1935. They had one son, H.J. Heinz III. They established their home, Rosemont Farm, in the Fox Chapel suburb of Pittsburgh. The couple divorced in 1942.

In 1932 Heinz anonymously self published a book titled "Experiences in Russia--1931: A diary". The book documented his trip to Ukraine in 1931 with journalist Gareth Jones to investigate reports of starvation now known as the holodomor.

Henry John Heinz II (July 10, 1908 – February 23, 1987) was an American business executive and CEO of the H. J. Heinz Company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. His grandfather Henry J. Heinz founded the company in the nineteenth century, and he worked in a variety of positions within the company before becoming CEO.