Howard Atlee Heinlen of Laurel, Maryland, passed away Friday, March 15, 2024, at age 97. Howard was born in Bucyrus, Ohio on May 14, 1926. He was preceded in death by his parents, Howard E. Heinlen and Blanche L. Neumann Heinlen and six siblings, Alesta (Herman) Christman, Gladys Heinlen, Ruth (Weldon) Schiefer, Audrey (John) Luginbuhl, Salome (Walter) Esterline and Donovan N. Heinlen. In 1977, he married Barbara Anne Schumacher who passed away in 2013. He is survived by eight nieces and nephews; Larry (Linda) Christman, Worthington; Pat Esterline, Bucyrus; Karen (Donovan) Schiefer Scott of rural Bucyrus; Sandra Christman, Chillicothe; Marian (Larry) Schiefer Vance, Delaware; Linda (Bob) Esterline Durtschi, Bucyrus; James Luginbuhl, New York; and Jan (Tom) Luginbuhl Neef, Mason. For the past several years, Howard has resided with the Harpreet Singh family in Maryland.
Howard graduated from Bucyrus High School in 1944 and attended Ohio State University and was a cheerleader prior to being drafted and joining the Navy in December of that year. While in port in Boston, he attended his first professional theater performance. After the War, he attended and graduated from Emerson College in 1950 with a degree in Theater. After graduation, Howard went to New York City and became an actor and theater worker. He was known professionally as Howard Atlee. By the late 1950’s he was given an opportunity to become a press agent for several plays and actors. Howard’s career as a Broadway and off-Broadway press agent included representing several plays by Edward Albee including The Zoo Story, and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf. Howard co- founded and then represented the Negro Ensemble Company (NEC) for over twenty years. An archive of his work can be found in the Billy Rose Theater section of the New York Public Library. Howard donated a collection of his papers to the Archives Space at Emerson College. After retiring from press agent activity, Howard returned to acting on stage and television.
Howard followed his love of animals to become a breeder of Dachshunds and a dog show judge. For several years he owned and operated the Stone Ridge Kennels in Stone Ridge, New York. He judged at the Westminster Kennel Club Show five times and continued to judge dog shows into his nineties. Howard’s two successful parallel careers were the focus of a New York Times story in 1970.
Memorial donations may be made to Actors’ Equity (actorsequity.org) working to enhance working conditions of American actors and stage managers or to Take the Lead (takethelead.org) benefiting participants in the sport of purebred dogs suffering from life-threatening illnesses.
Mr. Heinlen was laid to rest in Whetstone Cemetery, Whetstone Twp., Crawford County, Ohio. A Memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 4 beginning at 11:00 AM at the St. John’s United Church of Christ, 120 S. Lane Street, Bucyrus, Ohio 44820.
www.peacefulalternatives.com/obituary/howard-heinlen
www.nytimes.com/2024/04/05/theater/howard-atlee-dead.html