Kenn Heinlein

Kenn was born on June 29th, 1953 in Evanston, Illinois, the son of Glenn Heinlein and Jeanne Heinlein, nee Brunelle. He was raised in nearby Northbrook, where he graduated from Glenbrook South High School in 1971. Kenn graduated from Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri in 1975 with a degree in communications, which he used to begin a radio career that would take him across the country in a variety of roles, from promotional intern to on-air personality and eventually station manager of WAUK Waukesha and WAUX Lake Geneva.

Radio also allowed Kenn to start a family. Kenn married Jacqueline Ann Piszczek on September 14th, 1985, following a years-long romance that began when they met at WYEN Des Plaines—Kenn the overnight host, Jackie the public affairs director. Their marriage brought two children, the constant companionship of many cats, and years of memories.

In addition to his love for radio, Kenn's favorite hobbies were photography and drag racing, which he combined as a photographer and on-air reporter for NHRA events around the Midwest. Kenn devoted hours of attention to his partnerships with the NHRA, always hoping to present his favorite sport to the world as best he could. When Kenn wasn't photographing hot rods, you could often find him designing customized model cars with painstaking detail, leaving no stone unturned to replicate even the smallest decal.

Kenn gave back to his community as a longtime member of the Lake Geneva chapter of the Lions Club, where he served for many years as club secretary. In 2002, Kenn was awarded the Lions' prestigious Birch-Sturm Fellowship for his dedication to publishing the club's attractive and informative newsletters.

Kenn is survived by his mother, Jeanne; sisters Jan (Francis) Powers and Lynn (Michael) Allen; son Daniel; daughter Elizabeth (Jacob) Van Dyck; and grandchildren Violet and Ethan Van Dyck. He was preceded in death by his father Glenn and his wife Jacqueline.

Burial services will be private. If you wish to honor Kenn, you may make a donation to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration in hopes of strengthening research and support.