When CELEBRANT SINGERS first began to take shape in the Fall of 1976, one of the first orders of business was to form a strong, diverse and solid board of directors. I felt in my heart we needed quality and committed men and women of sterling character who were fully dedicated to the formation, stewardship and guidance of the fledgling ministry. In addition to my father, Toney, one of the very first people who came to mind as a candidate was a man I’d already known, loved, deeply respected and trusted for several years…Fred Heumann of Toledo, OH.
Fred, affectionately known to us as “Mr. H,” accepted our invitation to serve and did so with amazing selflessness and distinction for many, many years. As a founding board member, dear and valued confidant, father figure, and friend, a finer choice could not have been made. His fingerprints, influence and consistent contribution to Stone Ministries, Inc./Celebrant Singers were, and still very much are, indelibly evident in the ministry.
Fred wore so many hats and all of them extremely well. He was a major executive in Owens-Corning Fiberglass… an international Fortune 500 company… but he was also a dedicated, committed and loving husband and father. He was, in all the years we had the privilege of knowing him, deeply involved in all manner of Christian activities and pursuits as well. As a longtime member of St. Patrick of Heatherdowns Catholic parish in Toledo, he became an extremely valuable “right hand” to the pastor, Msgr. Wilhelm and served numerous terms on various committees as the parish grew and prospered. In all of these roles and a plethora of others, Fred was highly respected, deeply-loved and appreciated.
During Fred’s tenure of more than 20 years on the CELEBRANT SINGERS board he seldom missed a board meeting and even hosted a very memorable one in the executive board room on the top floor of the Owens Corning International Headquarters building in Toledo. Fred became a “fixture” among us…known to hundreds of CS team members and directors, and loved and appreciated by all. Following his retirement from Owens Corning, Fred and his wife, Clara, (also deeply beloved to us…who sadly died of cancer while living in California) even moved to our headquarters city of Visalia, California and assumed the management of our office to assist in growing and enhancing the ministry. His contribution to CELEBRANT SINGERS and to all of our lives personally, is deeply profound. Only eternity will reveal the whole.
Following Clara’s death, Fred married Carleta…a lovely Visalia lady also well known and loved by all of us…and in more recent years, moved to the Nashville, TN area to be closer to family. The news of his passing in late May, following a lengthy protracted battle with Alzheimer’s, was and is inestimably sad to all in the CS family. Love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and self control…the entire list of the fruit of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life…were all in abundant evidence in the sterling character and well-lived life of our dear brother, Fred Heumann, whom we will forever and profoundly miss.
“Well done thou good and faithful servant.” Your reward is eternal. Thanks for showing us all, in such an extraordinary way, how to faithfully and authentically follow the Master. Our lives are inestimably richer for having known you.
