On Monday, June 13th, we lost a member of our Thunder Football Family…Coach Todd Heck passed away at one of his favorite places, Hanna Field. Todd was one of the “Founding Father” of Thunder Football and coached from 2000-2010. He was a great man, awesome coach and a lifelong friend that will be missed.
The Todd Heck Benefit Account has been established at Dacotah Bank in Valley City, to benefit Todd’s wife Tammy, sons Jordyn, Aaron and Brandyn.
Donations can be sent to Dacotah Bank, PO Box 997, Valley City, ND 58072.
I was asked to speak at Todd’s funeral and here was the message that I delivered:
I would like to thank everyone for your support and prayers for the Heck family over the past five very difficult days. It has meant a lot to Tammy and her family to know that everyone is thinking of them and a comfort to know that they will have your love and support in the future.
I felt honored when Jordyn asked me to speak about Todd today. As I started to go back through all the memories that I have experienced with Todd and our classmates, I was flooded with emotions. Todd was a great person and he wore so many different hats; so many titles; so many words to describe Todd:
- Mentor
- Fierce Competitor
- Hard worker
- Avid Biker
- Patient Coach
- Great Son
- Loyal Brother
- Proud Dad
- Loving Grandpa
- Supportive Husband
and the one that I am most proud of – Friend!
Todd and I had a special friendship. He was Hector and I was Lenny. Todd’s family moved to VC when he was in grade school and lived in the Valley View neighborhood and became one of the gang instantly! He lived just around the corner. There were a lot of his classmates that lived there: Myself, Steve, Kristi, Diane, Tracy, Robin, Bonnie, Margo, Tim, Kim, and Randy. We experienced a lot of great memories with our neighborhood crew playing ding-dong-ditch, kick the can, riding motorcycles & snowmobiles, and others activities that I won’t mention! We developed great friendships through the years. I would describe Todd as a person who is genuine… honest, trustworthy and you always knew what you were getting from Todd.
Even after high school when we all went our separate ways, you knew that your friendship with Todd would always be there.
My family moved back to VC in 1998, and the first person to seek me out and welcome me home was Todd. We became great friends, coaching colleagues, bleacher coaches, die-hard football fans and great dads! As dads, we completed our role in brainwashing our boys into becoming avid NFL fans…Chicago Bears for the Hecks and Dallas Cowboys for the Lentzes.
In 2000, Todd, Jim, Chris, Brent, and I started the VC Youth Football program, better known as Thunder Football. Not only was Todd one of the founding fathers, but he coached for ten years and continued to watch, encourage and motivate all Thunder and Hi-Liner athletes. He coached, educated and mentored over 450 - 5th & 6th grader during his ten years of coaching. He watched his own sons play sports, but also followed all our Thunder kids as they moved on to become Hi-Liners. At Hi-Liner Football games, the Heck family would park their pickup in the same SE corner of Hanna Field…far enough away not to associated with me when I started yelling at my kids or the officials, but close enough to hear every word I would yell. The same at basketball games in the HAC…they would sit in the middle section, up away from the yellers!
To sum up what Todd meant to our community in a few short paragraphs is impossible. Anyone who know Todd, knew how much he loved his family. He worked hard to provide for them. He was such a selfless person with a good spirit and a huge heart. Although he was quiet, his presence was always known. He was an easy person to get along with and took pride in everything he did. From the perfect manicured lawn at Hanna Field to the spotless Hi-Liner Activity Center, Todd made sure everything was perfect. He put everything he had into everything he ever did. He worked at Leevers for 25 years and was the cornerstone of that business. When you thought of Leevers, you instantly thought of Todd. He and Tammy had served their three year term on the Hi-Liner Booster Club, but continued for many years after, coming in early and preparing the food for the concessions, so when the workers showed up, the food was hot and ready to be served. He also helped with supplying our Thunder Football concessions, making sure everything we needed, happened to be “on sale!”
When he became the Head Custodian at the HAC and Hanna Field, the image and presence of those facilities would just glow with his magical touch. He took pride in everything he did and it definitely showed.
What Todd was the most proud of all was his boys…Jordyn, Aaron and Brandyn. They were the sparkle in his eyes, the pride on his chest and the most important thing to him. He loved watching and following them in all their activities, especially when they played football. All three were a spit-in-image of their dad back in his glory days. Hard workers, very competitive and always had that smile of satisfaction on their face. Todd was never the loud, vocal parent, but somehow got the point across to his kids about character, desire and dedication! He was a great role model for his kids, a great coach and their best friend. One by one as his five grandchildren came, a new sense of pride and joy came through Todd that he loved to talk about. The twinkle in his eye was brighter. Todd’s legacy will be carried on by his boys and his grandkids.
Tammy was the love of his life and he wasn’t afraid to show it. You would always find them together at sporting events, cheering on the Hi-Liners or VCSU Vikings. The only time you would not find them together is when Todd went on his 10+ mile bike rides. With his headphones blaring, his bright yellow shirt, he would fly by you and make some comment to make sure you knew it was him! I am not sure how many bikes or tires that Todd went through, but it had to be a lot.
There are so many other stories and memories that you could share about Todd. I know that he will certainly be missed by his family and friends, as well as our community. He gave so much to others without asking for something in return. He never complained, enjoyed life and lived every day to its fullest.
In closing, I want to leave you with some reflections and advice for life:
-Love who you are.
-We do not remember days, we remember moments.
-Be thankful and do not regret growing old. It’s a privilege denied to many.
-Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent.
-Enjoy life on earth. It does not have an expiration date.
-Sing; Smile; Laugh; Dance
-In a relationship, no one stays the same for a lifetime. So the person you’ve become has to keep falling in love with the person they’ve become.
-A problem is a chance for you to do your best
-Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact
-When you love someone, you love the whole person, just as he or she is, not as you would like them to be.
-Enjoy your body, use it every way you can. Don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it; it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.
-Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them
-Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
-Believe in yourself, you control your own destination in life
-To understand your parents’ love, you must raise children yourself
-We usually don’t have regrets for what we did, but rather for things in life we did not do
-Always tell the truth. Truth fears no trial.
-Sometimes we are so caught up in who’s right and who’s wrong, that we forget what’s right and wrong... Think before you speak
-Remember that your spouse, children, religion, family and close friends are the chain to your anchor. Never take anyone for granted
-There’s always a reason you meet people…either you need them to change your life or you’re the one who will change theirs
-No one falls in love by choice, it’s by chance. No one stays in love by chance, it’s by work. And no one falls out of love by chance, it is by choice.
-As in life, don’t cry because it’s over; smile because it happened.
By Mike Lentz
The Todd Heck Benefit Account has been established at Dacotah Bank in Valley City, to benefit Todd’s wife Tammy, sons Jordyn, Aaron and Brandyn.
Donations can be sent to Dacotah Bank, PO Box 997, Valley City, ND 58072.
I was asked to speak at Todd’s funeral and here was the message that I delivered:
I would like to thank everyone for your support and prayers for the Heck family over the past five very difficult days. It has meant a lot to Tammy and her family to know that everyone is thinking of them and a comfort to know that they will have your love and support in the future.
I felt honored when Jordyn asked me to speak about Todd today. As I started to go back through all the memories that I have experienced with Todd and our classmates, I was flooded with emotions. Todd was a great person and he wore so many different hats; so many titles; so many words to describe Todd:
- Mentor
- Fierce Competitor
- Hard worker
- Avid Biker
- Patient Coach
- Great Son
- Loyal Brother
- Proud Dad
- Loving Grandpa
- Supportive Husband
and the one that I am most proud of – Friend!
Todd and I had a special friendship. He was Hector and I was Lenny. Todd’s family moved to VC when he was in grade school and lived in the Valley View neighborhood and became one of the gang instantly! He lived just around the corner. There were a lot of his classmates that lived there: Myself, Steve, Kristi, Diane, Tracy, Robin, Bonnie, Margo, Tim, Kim, and Randy. We experienced a lot of great memories with our neighborhood crew playing ding-dong-ditch, kick the can, riding motorcycles & snowmobiles, and others activities that I won’t mention! We developed great friendships through the years. I would describe Todd as a person who is genuine… honest, trustworthy and you always knew what you were getting from Todd.
Even after high school when we all went our separate ways, you knew that your friendship with Todd would always be there.
My family moved back to VC in 1998, and the first person to seek me out and welcome me home was Todd. We became great friends, coaching colleagues, bleacher coaches, die-hard football fans and great dads! As dads, we completed our role in brainwashing our boys into becoming avid NFL fans…Chicago Bears for the Hecks and Dallas Cowboys for the Lentzes.
In 2000, Todd, Jim, Chris, Brent, and I started the VC Youth Football program, better known as Thunder Football. Not only was Todd one of the founding fathers, but he coached for ten years and continued to watch, encourage and motivate all Thunder and Hi-Liner athletes. He coached, educated and mentored over 450 - 5th & 6th grader during his ten years of coaching. He watched his own sons play sports, but also followed all our Thunder kids as they moved on to become Hi-Liners. At Hi-Liner Football games, the Heck family would park their pickup in the same SE corner of Hanna Field…far enough away not to associated with me when I started yelling at my kids or the officials, but close enough to hear every word I would yell. The same at basketball games in the HAC…they would sit in the middle section, up away from the yellers!
To sum up what Todd meant to our community in a few short paragraphs is impossible. Anyone who know Todd, knew how much he loved his family. He worked hard to provide for them. He was such a selfless person with a good spirit and a huge heart. Although he was quiet, his presence was always known. He was an easy person to get along with and took pride in everything he did. From the perfect manicured lawn at Hanna Field to the spotless Hi-Liner Activity Center, Todd made sure everything was perfect. He put everything he had into everything he ever did. He worked at Leevers for 25 years and was the cornerstone of that business. When you thought of Leevers, you instantly thought of Todd. He and Tammy had served their three year term on the Hi-Liner Booster Club, but continued for many years after, coming in early and preparing the food for the concessions, so when the workers showed up, the food was hot and ready to be served. He also helped with supplying our Thunder Football concessions, making sure everything we needed, happened to be “on sale!”
When he became the Head Custodian at the HAC and Hanna Field, the image and presence of those facilities would just glow with his magical touch. He took pride in everything he did and it definitely showed.
What Todd was the most proud of all was his boys…Jordyn, Aaron and Brandyn. They were the sparkle in his eyes, the pride on his chest and the most important thing to him. He loved watching and following them in all their activities, especially when they played football. All three were a spit-in-image of their dad back in his glory days. Hard workers, very competitive and always had that smile of satisfaction on their face. Todd was never the loud, vocal parent, but somehow got the point across to his kids about character, desire and dedication! He was a great role model for his kids, a great coach and their best friend. One by one as his five grandchildren came, a new sense of pride and joy came through Todd that he loved to talk about. The twinkle in his eye was brighter. Todd’s legacy will be carried on by his boys and his grandkids.
Tammy was the love of his life and he wasn’t afraid to show it. You would always find them together at sporting events, cheering on the Hi-Liners or VCSU Vikings. The only time you would not find them together is when Todd went on his 10+ mile bike rides. With his headphones blaring, his bright yellow shirt, he would fly by you and make some comment to make sure you knew it was him! I am not sure how many bikes or tires that Todd went through, but it had to be a lot.
There are so many other stories and memories that you could share about Todd. I know that he will certainly be missed by his family and friends, as well as our community. He gave so much to others without asking for something in return. He never complained, enjoyed life and lived every day to its fullest.
In closing, I want to leave you with some reflections and advice for life:
-Love who you are.
-We do not remember days, we remember moments.
-Be thankful and do not regret growing old. It’s a privilege denied to many.
-Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent.
-Enjoy life on earth. It does not have an expiration date.
-Sing; Smile; Laugh; Dance
-In a relationship, no one stays the same for a lifetime. So the person you’ve become has to keep falling in love with the person they’ve become.
-A problem is a chance for you to do your best
-Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact
-When you love someone, you love the whole person, just as he or she is, not as you would like them to be.
-Enjoy your body, use it every way you can. Don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it; it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.
-Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them
-Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
-Believe in yourself, you control your own destination in life
-To understand your parents’ love, you must raise children yourself
-We usually don’t have regrets for what we did, but rather for things in life we did not do
-Always tell the truth. Truth fears no trial.
-Sometimes we are so caught up in who’s right and who’s wrong, that we forget what’s right and wrong... Think before you speak
-Remember that your spouse, children, religion, family and close friends are the chain to your anchor. Never take anyone for granted
-There’s always a reason you meet people…either you need them to change your life or you’re the one who will change theirs
-No one falls in love by choice, it’s by chance. No one stays in love by chance, it’s by work. And no one falls out of love by chance, it is by choice.
-As in life, don’t cry because it’s over; smile because it happened.
By Mike Lentz