Friends remember founder of DuPage YWCA
Ten years ago, a visibly despondent and depressed man was sitting alone in the cafeteria at the College of DuPage.
Jane Heckman didn't know the man. Still, she walked up and said, "You look like you need a friend."
"Jane just sat down and started talking to him," said Maryann Krieglstein, a professor at the Glen Ellyn school.
It was that compassion - along with an uncanny ability to connect with others - that helped Heckman establish numerous social programs serving the Western suburbs.
"She was just a remarkable woman," said Krieglstein, who is joining other friends and family in remembering Heckman.
The longtime Lombard resident died May 27 at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, family members said Friday. She was 89.
Heckman is being remembered for her lifelong dedication to social service, community organization and women's issues. Her many accomplishments include founding the first YWCA office in DuPage County.
"She was a social worker," friend Chana Bernstein said. "She always looked at everything from the perspective of a social worker. She believed anything could be done."
Heckman founded the West Suburban YWCA in 1966 and served as its director for 21 years. Family members said she was "inspired by the work of Jane Addams and fueled by the YWCA's mission to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all."
"She believed that if we put our talents and our hearts together, we could achieve anything," said Sara Heckman, Jane's daughter-in-law.
Through her work with the YWCA, Jane Heckman inspired the local group to start a list of programs, including several that help children and sexual assault victims. She also was a founding supporter of DuPage's "Take Back the Night" annual march and rally that raises awareness about the reality of violence against women and children.
For Heckman, helping others was a lifelong goal. When she graduated from Barnard College in New York City in 1941, she went to work for the YWCA. Later, when she graduated with a master's degree from the University of Michigan, she worked in Detroit, Pittsburgh and Chicago as an organizer for community councils, family members said.
"The essence of Jane was to connect with people in a meaningful way and to try to make a difference for people who might not have the same opportunities as everyone else," Sara Heckman said.
Jane moved to Lombard in 1955 after marrying Tom P. Heckman, widowed father of two sons, Eric and Jan. The couple welcomed another son, Mark, four years later.
It wasn't long before Heckman became active in the PTO, taught Sunday school and volunteered to help multiple causes. In 1966, Heckman was instrumental in getting the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to visit Elmhurst College.
Friends say she was motivated to make her corner of the world a better place.
"She was always challenging us to ask why," Krieglstein said, "and to challenge the status quo if it wasn't helping the ordinary person."
Because of her community involvement, Heckman was honored with numerous awards, including College of DuPage's 2008 Woman of Distinction. While she was proud of her accomplishments, friends say, she remained humble.
"She never boasted," Bernstein said. "I have never seen such a humble person in my life."
A memorial/celebration of Heckman's life is planned for July 24. The location will be announced at a later date. Memorial contributions can be made to the YWCA Patterson & McDaniel Family Center, 55 E. North Ave., Glendale Heights, IL 60139.