Maxine Heinitz

Maxine Louisa Heinitz was a scientist and a woman of faith. Born February 8, 1939 in Mt. Lake, Minnesota to the late Peter and Hilda (Bohn) Falk, the second of six children, she demonstrated an early tenacity for mastering whatever she put her mind to. First it was the piano. Mastering the organ followed and during High School she was the organist at Trinity Lutheran Church in Mountain Lake, where she was baptized and confirmed. Later, she was an organist at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. At a time when few women entered the sciences, she turned her intelligence and tenacity to chemistry. She and her high school sweetheart, Stan Heinitz, married in Mountain Lake in 1957 and moved to Mankato, Minnesota with their infant daughter Victoria. There, she earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Mankato State University. She went on to do postgraduate work at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. The couple later divorced, but remained committed to their daughter and grandsons. She valued knowledge and pursued it to the highest end, earning a doctorate in organic chemistry from the University of Minnesota. She worked for the Food Drug Administration in Minneapolis for almost three decades, holding a variety of management positions. There, she oversaw research and authored numerous publications on issues related to food safety. She had little tolerance for mediocrity. Maxine was a member of Sigma Delta Epsilon/Graduate Women in Science, whose mission is to advance the participation of women in the sciences. She served as President in 1986 and was a relentless fundraiser for scholarships for women entering the sciences. A meticulous seamstress all her life, Maxine started a quilting business in her retirement. Her skills at restoring old quilts meant she had so much work that she needed to hire an assistant. Maxine never wavered in her steadfast belief in higher education for women. Recently, she mentored young women at Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church, where she was an active member. She counseled them on the academic courses they needed to qualify for college scholarships. Maxine loved all animals particularly horses. Her home was a haven for stray cats but she was passionate about her horses. In the past 12 years the horses, especially Calvin, had become her life force. She died on Sunday, May 18, 2008 pursuing her greatest passion - gardening at her home in Golden Valley. She turned her backyard into an urban oasis, lovingly tending hundreds of plants. She is survived by her daughter, Victoria (Jim) Frye of Duluth, MN; grandsons Derek (Nicole) Frye of Minneapolis and Chase Frye of Duluth; four sisters: JoAnna (Richard) Bristol of Urbandale, Iowa; Sandra (Brian) Hoffman of Marshall, MN; Pamela (Al) Penner of Elbow Lake, MN; Cheri Falk (Bob Fischer) of Good Thunder, MN and a brother, Peter L. Falk (Mary Kay Naegle) of Madison, Lake, MN; former husband, Stan Heinitz of Donna, TX; and many nieces, nephews and great-nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Peter and Hilda (Bohn) Falk. Memorials are preferred to a scholarship fund at Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church, established in Maxine's name, or to the donor's choice.