Former WCC president Harold Heiner dies

Former longtime Whatcom Community College President Harold Heiner died Saturday, Oct. 17, at the age of 76 after a battle with Parkinson’s disease.

Heiner was instrumental in creating a central campus for WCC during his 24 years as president. Family and former colleagues say he will be remembered for his compassion toward students.

When Heiner took the position in 1983 following the death of former president William Laidlaw, the college did not have a main campus. Instead it had various facilities around the county.

“Harold built Whatcom Community College,” said Phil Sharpe, a former member of WCC’s Board of Trustees from 1989-1999.

The college accepted a portion of land in December 1983, about a month after Heiner was named acting president. Within a few years, workers broke ground on a project to construct what would later be named the Laidlaw Center on the land. As that was being constructed, the college had about 1,000 students.

In 1997, in the middle of Heiner’s presidency, college trustees decided to name the school’s new library and arts building after him. The Heiner Center remains a hub of campus.

By the time Heiner retired in 2007, the campus — located on Kellogg Road west of Guide Meridian — was 70 acres and served roughly 7,000 students.

Heiner wrote in his retirement letter to the campus community that he was drawn to “the Whatcom Way” when he came to WCC in 1978 and became dean of instruction.

“The ‘Whatcom Way’ is not any particular way of getting something done. It is, rather, an attitude that we will accomplish our goals, one way or another,” Heiner wrote.

Current WCC President Kathi Hiyane-Brown, in a statement released Monday, said Heiner will be remembered for his belief in the power of education and for his work to make college accessible for all students.

“Dr. Heiner’s can-do spirit was infectious. His passionate advocacy on behalf of students inspired colleagues and community members, who carry on his students-first philosophy today,” Hiyane-Brown said.

Jim Wilson, who served on WCC’s Board of Trustees from 1995 to 2005, said Heiner took a particular interest in students.

“He would take it upon himself to shepherd a student through the process to get him enrolled and make sure he stayed enrolled,” Wilson said.

Heiner helped launch WCC’s international program and establish the WCC Foundation.

Scott Heiner said his father was proud of WCC’s international exchange student program. He said Harold Heiner made sure international students were being taken care of.

“He wasn’t just a college administrator,” Scott Heiner said. “He was involved with these students. They came to family dinners and barbecues, and they called him grandpa.”

Harold Heiner earned an associate arts degree from Skagit Valley Community College, a bachelor’s degree at Western Washington University, a master’s degree from Washington State University, and a doctorate degree from University of Washington. He had six children, 45 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

Since his retirement eight years ago, Heiner had been living in his home in Mount Vernon and enjoying time with his grandkids. He wrote a book, “A Lifetime of Discovery,” during that time.

“Whatcom Community College was his life, and he took so much pride in building that campus. I mean, he put his heart and soul and everything into that,” Scott Heiner said. “His main goal was helping students get education. Everything he did catered toward students.”

A memorial service is set for 2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, at the Heiner Center.

This story was originally published October 19, 2015 at 10:11 AM with the headline "Former WCC president Harold Heiner dies."