Obituary of Michael George Heitz

Michael George Heitz, 71, died unexpectedly on August 26, 2021 in Darien, CT. He was born on November 14,1949 in Indianapolis, Indiana to George and Helen Crofts Heitz. While his dad pursued a career at Aetna, his family moved frequently, and Mike could claim Indianapolis, Miami, South Bend, Milwaukee, Los Angeles, Peoria, and Simsbury as "home." He credited his attendance at three different high schools for his ease in all social interactions. It gave him the lifelong skill of making friends. Mike graduated from the University of Illinois in 1971 as a Certified Public Accountant and began a career in Public Accounting at Haskins and Sells in Hartford. He was then hired by Coopers and Lybrand and moved to New York City, where he spent most of his career. Mike earned his law degree from Fordham School of Law in 1980 while working full time. He became a Partner at Coopers and Lybrand in 1984, then moved to Arthur Andersen where he became a partner in 1991. Mike had a private practice in Tax Law and Accounting, and then joined TIAA-CREF as the Associate General Counsel. He ended his career as the Senior Tax Counsel for Voya Financial, Inc., and retired in 2017. Mike wanted to provide his family with the stability of growing up in one community and chose Darien in 1991. Through the years he coached Little League teams and was on the Boards of the Darien Art Center and the Darien Nature Center. He cheered all of his children on through soccer, baseball, lacrosse, and hockey games. When he retired, Mike became actively involved in the Darien Men's Association and the Representative Town Meeting, serving on the Finance Committee. He never missed a meeting. Mike was perpetually curious and had a keen interest in politics and history. He thought before he spoke or wrote and recognized the power of words. He was a true friend to many and kept in touch with friends from every aspect of his life. He had a wonderful sense of humor and a ready laugh. He enjoyed traveling, meeting new people, and experiencing different cultures. He still did all his own yardwork. Mike is survived by his wife of 44 years, Nancy Wood Heitz. He was immensely proud of son Matthew, his wife, Ashley, grandsons Harrison and Oliver, of Glen Allen, Virginia, daughter Caitlin Sommer, her husband Lucas and sons Cameron and Benjamin of Lake Oswego, Oregon, and son Nick and his wife, Kelsey, of Darien. He is also survived by his sister, Mary Ann Blanc, her daughter Laura, Laura's husband, Adam, and son, Hunter. A Memorial Service will be held at St. Luke's Episcopal Church on Tuesday August 31, 2021 at 3:30 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Person to Person, 1864 Post Road, Darien, CT.