Former DCN publisher "The Hize" loved construction

Former Daily Commercial News Publisher Alan Milliken Heisey was affectionately known to many as “Hize” his friend Marshall Leslie recalls.

"Al was an ink stained wretch," Leslie explains. "He had an awful lot of love for print."

Heisey passed away Nov. 2 at 86 after a stroke. He is survived by his wife of 61 years Barbara, three sons, Alan Milliken Heisey II, Peter William Sharpe Heisey, Robin Mark Heisey and 10 grandchildren.

His son Alan states Heisey’s DCN tenure started in the 1970s until his retirement in 1989.

"He loved Daily Commercial News. That’s the one thing, he loved the publishing business," he says.

"Daily Commercial News is a very interesting thing. It’s a highly successful daily newspaper. He felt privileged. He was just so thrilled to be the publisher of a daily publication."

During Heisey’s time at the DCN, the printing industry was much different than it is today, his son adds.

"DCN, when my dad worked there, was one of the last lead print printing houses in North America," he states.

"DCN still had traditional type print. They would manufacture the paper in the Victorian way. Dad would bring home the dies sometimes to show us how it was done."

After retiring from the DCN, Heisey, at 59, founded Georgian Bay Today. He was its publisher and editor for 25 years, finally ending his role at age 85.

"He accomplished as much in the last 25 years of his life as most people accomplish in the prime of their life," his son remarks, and that doesn’t just apply to publishing.

"In the last four years, he ordered the lumber, designed, got customized galvanized steel bolts and nuts manufactured and built two large wooden cribs for our boathouse at our family island in Georgian Bay. He did it all himself — assembled it, cut it, cut the holes, on the shoreline. All we did was move the crib into place and fill it with rocks and they were perfect."

Heisey always had an affinity towards construction, his son recalls, and while graduating from Harvard and being a professional engineer were great accomplishments, he also managed to teach himself various trades he applied throughout his life.

"He taught himself how to do plumbing and wiring. His father died when he was very young and he was self-taught," Alan says.

"He loved the construction business and in fact I think that was exemplified by his desire to self-teach himself a lot of the trades. He always valued his friendships and admired the general contractors. A lot of our summer holidays were centred around essentially what were construction projects. His relaxation was to do what construction guys do for a living."

Heisey’s obituary states, he was fond of "the wearing of ties, the art of the sung grace, bread and gravy as dessert, do-it-yourself plumbing, wiring and taxes, and being generous with hugs."

"Loud. Brash. Funny. Opinionated. Al," adds Leslie, who worked with Heisey at what was formerly known as Southam Business Information Group.

The family will receive friends today (Tuesday, Nov. 18) from 3 to 6 p.m at the Royal Canadian Yacht Club, 141 St. George St., Toronto. A funeral service will be held Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 11 a.m. at Bloor Street United Church, 300 Bloor St. W., Toronto.