William McKay “Coach” Hieshetter, age 81 of Grand Rapids, passed away Tuesday, January 29, 2013. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ward and Margaret and brother, Don. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Mary “Mickey”; children, Mary Bower, Mike (Susan) Hieshetter, Kiki (Mike) Lown, Helen (Paul) Vruggink, Sara (Tom) Antonucci; sister, Fran (Tom) McGee; grandchildren, Ian Bower, Brendan, Elise, Patrick and Kevin Hieshetter, Megan and John Lown, Leah, Nicholas, Sara and Jacob Vruggink, Tommy, Lauren, Sydney and William Antonucci; many nieces and nephews. Working for the Grand Rapids Public Schools, Bill was a teacher, administrator, lobbyist and coach. He dedicated his life to education. Bill also spent years volunteering for the Grand Rapids Variety Club and Youth Commonwealth. Known to most as Coach, his engaging smile, crushing handshake and profound stature made him an ever present personality all over West Michigan, Lansing, and Washington, D.C.. Bill cherished the time spent with friends and family at Big Bass Lake in Irons, Michigan. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean Conflict. However, his greatest legacy will be his love of his family. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Tuesday, February 5 at 10:30 AM at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, 1449 Wilcox Park Dr. SE; Rev. James A. Chelich, presiding. Interment Resurrection Cemetery. Visitation Sunday 1-4 PM and Monday 2-4 & 6-8 PM with a vigil service at 7:30 PM at the O’Brien-Eggebeen-Gerst Chapel, 3980 Cascade Rd. SE. Memorial contributions may be made to the Student Advancement Foundation, St. Thomas Education Foundation, or Aquinas College Fund.
