William (Bill) Heise, born on February 22, 1960, in Louisville, KY, was called home on November 17, 2024, in Johnson City, TN.
Left to mourn his passing are his loving wife Luci (Lucinda), surviving children Andrew and Hannah (Ryan), and his beloved recently deceased son Billy. He is also survived by his siblings, numerous brothers and sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and great-nephews.
Bill earned his Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Dayton and his Ph.D. in 1988 from Auburn University. He worked at Eastman Chemical for 28 years in various roles, including Director of Corporate Innovation, Sustainability Initiatives, and Global Technology and Marketing.
Dr. Heise joined the ETSU faculty in 2018 as the College's first Professor of Practice, teaching in the Management Department. Bill taught in all modalities of the MBA program. In recent years, he also served on the leadership team of the ETSU Research Corporation.
Bill was known for his humor and unwavering commitment to spreading love and kindness. His life journey was marked by his compassion, generosity, and steadfast faith in God. His passing has left a void in the hearts of his family, friends, students, and many others whose lives were touched by him. The family would also like to extend special thanks to Lauren H. Snapp for her heartfelt care during his illness.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, November 23, at Hope Church Johnson City, 5034 Bobby Hicks Highway, Gray, TN 37615. Visitation will be from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., followed by the service at 3:30 p.m.
In remembrance of Bill’s life, the family requests that any charitable donations be made to Hope Church at www.hopejc.org/give
Lucinda and Family. So sorry to hear of Bill’s passing. I worked with Bill in the Polymers Division and had the privilege of being in a Wednesday morning men’s Bible study in the 90’s with him. Bill was always encouraging and had a deep devotion to his family. He was a man of strong faith in the Lord and he will be sorely missed by all who knew him.
You all are in my thoughts and prayers.
Keith Bennett
I am so sorry to see Bill’s obituary. I met him while I was a teacher at SHHS. Please accept my sincere condolences for both Bill and Billy, who was in my class.
Lucinda and Family. So sorry to hear of Bill’s passing. I was Bill’s mentor and his cubicle was adjacent to mine when he first started to work at Eastman. My son Mark also worked with him when he started to work at Eastman. I was talking to Mark and he told me he remembered keeping Billy several times when he was about 4 years old. Bill was easy going and I enjoyed getting to know him and work with him. My condolences to you and your family during this time of loss. Cherish the memories and prayers that you find peace in your loss at this time.
11/23/2024
Emily Kate Skidmore
My sympathies go out to Luci and the rest of Dr. Heise’s family. Dr. Heise made a huge impact on life. He will always be one of my favorite people. He mentored me during my time at ETSU. I got to help him with the STRIVE program and other various projects which I loved. He always joked that he was ETSU’s middle man and was in charge of putting the various projects into motion. He was very good at it too. I first met him through the Leadership Academy at the College of Business during my undergrad, and we immediately clicked. He took me under his wing and helped me get through my Masters in Accounting even though he always wanted me to switch and do the MBA. I’ll miss seeing his smiling face as I would walk into his office as well as his competitive spirit on the pickleball courts. May you rest in peace. ❤️
Lucinda (and kids), I was sorry and shocked to hear of Bill's death. During our time at Eastman together, we shared laughs, plans, complaints and advice. He was genuinely a good guy. I pray that God offers solace to you and your family. With kindness and sincerity - Mike
11/20/2024
MICHAEL A WILLIAMS (MAW)
Kaethe and I send our heartfelt condolences to Lucinda and Andrew and Hannah. Long time since we've seen you guys. Many fond memories of working with "the Heise-Man" in Bldg. 430 and in the Netherlands. Way too soon.
