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To Chad
From Mom & Dad
You were 12 days late and it took 25 hours of labor but you were the perfect beginning to our family: our firstborn son. It was the happiest day of our lives to that point. You were supposed to be Jared, but we changed your name to Chad after seeing you. As you know, your middle name of Robert was after Grampa Bob and you fittingly became an excellent engineer, just like him. You weren’t always thrilled at the standards expected as the oldest brother of four, but you did such a good job, honey. Kent, Garrett and Gavin look up to you and adore you. Yes, the example you set had a few bumps during the high-school years, but it’s OK. We always said we’ll love you no matter what!
You were such a smart little guy. You walked and talked very early. When you were reading at age four, we knew we were in for some serious scholastic achievements. In second grade book club, you read 13,390 pages, second in the whole school. You always try your hardest at everything you do and we are always proud at you (that’s how we say it at our house).
Your sense of humor is what most people talk about. You have a quick wit and everyone who knows you, often at their own expense, appreciates it. When you broke your leg at age nine playing soccer at recess, you insisted on covering it with a blanket when your dad came home. When he asked, “How are you, Chad?” you excitedly pulled the blanket off waiting for his shock, then laughed hysterically. Mom got a phone call from you when you found out Michelle was pregnant with Seth. She answered the phone at SHS and you said, “Hi mom. The rabbit died,” and hung up. Just like that. Michelle quickly called back and said, “If I knew he was going to do that, I would have called. I am so sorry!!!” Your pranks and jokes always include your sweet smile. You have this explosion gene though – wheelbarrows, microwaves, sparkler bombs. It is a little worrisome. Mom hates it. Dad tolerates it. Mom always told Michelle you had ten fingers and ten toes when we gave you to her.
We couldn’t slow you and Michelle down. You two youngsters knew what you wanted and got married when you were 19, started an exciting new life down in Seattle while you were in school and she was working. We always took the two of you out to dinner when you got straight As (every quarter) and you could pick the restaurant. We had to play catch-up one year and you chose the Met. Mom had salad. We were always proud at you. After earning your masters in Electrical Engineering at UW, Microsoft quickly snatched you up. That same month, you bought your first home and had Seth. Your family soon included Luke. The greatest gift you ever gave us was making us grandparents. We are so proud of what good parents you both are.
You established college funds for your nieces and nephews and have always been generous in many ways. You have an enormous heart for everyone. As an adult, people very often comment to us how much they appreciate a conversation with you. Your ability to engage and really be interested in other peoples’ lives and happiness is unsurpassed. You never fail to take the time to listen and we are always proud at you for that.
On the night of your passing, you gave us five separate signs you were at peace. The most notable of these was to Dad. While standing in your backyard, as he looked to the heavens, saying, “Chad, I’ll love you no matter what,” he saw a pinpoint flash of dark red. We made a family pledge that night with Kent, Garrett and Gavin to watch closely over Seth & Luke. We promise you they will experience a lifetime of fun Heinemann happenings with all of us, always talking about you and keeping your love beaming in their hearts.
We are crushed. We are heartbroken. But we love you beyond words.
Mom and Dad
Psalm 34:18
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
To Seth and Luke
From Grammy & Grandpa
Seth and Luke – Your father accomplished more in 38 years than most people could in a lifetime, but you two are your father’s most proud accomplishment. Remember and hold dearly how much he cherished both of you. His pride and love for you go beyond words. We and your uncles will be with you for the rest of our lives – talking about Dad and enjoying life with you for him. Get ready for camping, hiking, biking and just hanging out laughing. But most of all, get ready to talk about your padre. He’ll be listening and watching. And smiling.
Things you may not know about your father
You already know how smart your father is. Below are some of the things he did in school:
He was in the Advanced Placement Honors program for nine years, from fourth grade through graduation. This is similar to the advanced classes the two of you are taking now.
In high school he was a mentor (like a student teacher) to elementary students for math, science and Spanish. He did this at Dutch Hill Elementary, where he attended.
He was on the Snohomish High School baseball team for three years
Member of the National Honor Society – this is when you get really good grades and perform community service. It is a very prestigious thing.
Your dad played Little League Baseball for nine years, Babe Ruth Baseball and American Legion Baseball for a year each. Not only did your father excel at academics, he was also good at baseball. He was an All-Star in Little League three times and a Tournament All-Star in Babe Ruth.
Padre worked hard outside of school too, at a company called Infonet. He worked 28 hours a week while taking high school level Advanced Placement classes and carrying a 3.93 grade point average!
Your father did community service work such as working on Little League baseball fields and working at the Food Bank with Gramma June and Grampa Bob in Edmonds.
Seth & Luke, your dad received a full scholarship to attend the University of Washington, including his Master Program. We and your mom were so proud of that – it was an amazing accomplishment. It was well deserved and he demonstrated this by graduating THIRD (!!!) in his electrical engineering class at UW, earning the highest academic honor of Summa Cum Laude. Dad continued on and received a Masters in Electrical Engineering. Below are some awards he received in high school and college.
1998 Junior Masonic Lodge Award,
1998 Centennial Lodge Outstanding Achievement Award,
Reita Cruze Scholarship,
1999 Washington State Honors Award,
1999 Advance Placement Scholar with Honor,
Western Washington University Presidents Scholarship 1999,
Washington Promise Scholarship,
Edward R. O’Brien Memorial Scholarship,
UW Electrical Engineering Scholarship,
Boeing Company Scholarship,
UW College of Engineering Scholarship,
Member of ETA Kappa Nu Association,
UW Annual Dean’s List 2000-2003,
Graduated Summa Cum Laude at UW Earning a Masters in Electrical Engineering
When you work for a large company like Microsoft they track your performance (how well you meet your goals & objectives) over the course of a particular period. It’s called a performance review and it is done by your Dad’s boss at the time. Here are some of their comments over the years. It gives you a good indication of your father’s character.
“Continually impressed with his willingness to help out in areas outside his immediate areas of ownership”
“Chad is one of the most helpful developers that I have worked with”
“desire to help others…”
“Chad, it’s been an honor to work with you. Thank you for all the hard work.”
“Great example of taking on extra work and going above and beyond”
“Chad is very passionate about the quality and performance of codecs.”
“He then went beyond what he had set out to do…”
“Chad is extremely easy to work with, a team player and is always very reasonable”
“I have been fortunate to have Chad on my team”
“Chad is an incredibly strong contributor.”
“Chad is averse to doing anything for the sake of self-promotion.”
“Excels at cross-group collaboration.”
“Great personality. Nice and easy to work with. Exceeding expectations. Very strong on optimization. Eager to learn new stuff. Always ready to help others.”
“Chad’s code quality and diligence before checking in is exemplary. The fact that Chad can go into that code base and make significant changes without breaking things is a testament to his engineering skill.”
We already see many of these traits in the two of you. Luke, your willingness to always help us out with anything—especially using your mind and hands. Seth, you are so eager to learn “new stuff”. Your father is very proud at you.
Dad was very creative. He took a creativity class at UW in 2003. You should read his journal! Below is a sample of his ideas, the full text can be found in the journal. Many of his ideas have actually materialized.
“Better breadboard design for prototyping electric circuits via “locking” mechanism.
“A better ziplock bag”
“Way to help prevent small children getting killed by airbags”
“User’s voice in video games”
“Wireless Scoreboard”
“Online Grocery shopping service” (this one is huge now, but your dad’s idea was 17 ago)
“Changes for US school system”
Year round school – students forget too much over the summer
More emphasis placed on math/science
More school in general
Take comfort and pride in the positive impact dad’s life had on so many people. In our home, he set an example for his brothers growing up. In your home, he set an example for you.
Seth, you are a shining star and have talked about wanting to study Electrical Engineering at the University of Washington. No matter what you decide – and you have limitless choices - keep working hard and pushing yourself. You are capable of anything you want to achieve. Don’t be afraid to fail! It’s how we learn.
Luke, you love to help people and are brilliant. Your energy and future are boundless. You can accomplish anything you set your creative mind to do. You have great people skills. You are very adept at using your hands and under-standing how things work. Stay focused and these traits will carry you far.
Both of you always remember Dad is with you, watching you and loving you. We will love you forever no matter what.
Grammy & Grampa
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