Give Al Heck something to fix and he could fix it – since it’s what he has been doing it all his life.Heck first started repair work at age 14 while working in his father’s radio and TV shop. “My father first taught me how to do repairs on radios and phonographs,” he said. Heck’s father opened Keystone Radio and TV in 1941. “I started out by sweeping the floors and cleaning,” he said. “Then I eventually got into helping out on delivering and then from there I started repairing the stuff.” Heck worked for his father all through high school.Born on June 2, 1938 in Racine, Wis., Heck spent a majority of his life living there. “I lived there all my life until I was 45,” said Heck. He graduated from St. Catherine’s High School in 1954. And after high school, Heck continued to work for his father until he joined the Army on October 3, 1956. He served in Korea before leaving the military in July 1958.After getting out of the service, Heck went into business with his cousins building antennas. “It didn’t pan out,” he said. “So I went back to working with my father.”He worked ten years with his father until taking a job doing maintenance for the Racine Unified School District. After 12 years of working for there, Heck decided it was time for another career change, but this time his life changed in more ways than one. Shortly after taking a maintenance job at St. Mary’s Medical Center (now All Saints Medical Center), Heck met his second wife, Carol, who was working at the hospital as an instrument tech specialist. The couple married on January 5, 1984. “It’s a beautiful second chance that I never dreamed of,” he said.In 1986 the couple left Wisconsin and moved to Colorado where Heck helped open Evans Army Hospital at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs. After it opened, he continued to do maintenance work there for the next four years. But because it was contract work, Heck lost his job when the contract between Evans Army Hospital and Hospital Shared Services was lost.Now with several years of maintenance experience under his tool belt, Heck went to work as a maintenance supervisor for District 20 at the Air Force Academy. “I retired in 2000 from ‘real’ work,” he said. “And now I am a loafer.”Even though he “officially” retired, Heck continued to keep busy for the next several years. “I didn’t know what to do with myself so I went over to ABC Plumbing,” he said. “Worked over there with sprinkler systems for three years.” But when his part time job turned into full time work, he decided it was time to hang it up and did customer service work for a couple of heating businesses.While delivering sheet metal parts for one of the heating businesses, Heck found a house that was for sale in Woodmen Hills and in 2005 he and his wife moved out to Falcon. With a new home, Heck kept busy for the next year with several home projects. Once those were all completed, he didn’t know what to do next. He found the answer while waiting for the light to change on the corner of Highway 24 and Meridian. “I said, ‘Oh God what should I do next?’ and he said, ‘Make a left turn.’ And the next thing he knew Heck found himself at the Falcon Fire Station.Heck walked in and asked if they needed a volunteer and he said they “jumped at the chance.” “At first they asked if I wanted to be a firefighter,” he said. “I laughed and told them I was too old.” So instead he offered to do the work he does best – fix stuff. Heck usually volunteers two days a week and said he’s done everything from installing a new water heater and kitchen faucet to help put together a fire prevention database and building an apparatus that will dry the firefighters protective fire gear.Even though the firefighters like to tease Heck and give him a hard time, they really appreciate everything he does for them. “Al is the type of person who comes in not only because he wants to help out at the fire station, but wants to help his community,” said Lt. David Smith. “He takes a lot of pressures, for lack of a better word, off of us. When we get back it is already done.”Heck reciprocated by saying, “I really enjoy volunteering and these are a heck of a group of guys.””Al is the type of person who comes in not only because he wants to help out at the fire station, but (also he) wants to help his community.” Lt. David SmithA little more on Al HeckWhat do you love about Falcon and/or Colorado?I love the weather conditions and the people.What is your favorite memory?When I was 10 years old I made this bow and arrow from a willow tree and used some chicken feathers to make a headband. Well, I was running around the house and not only hit myself in the back of the head, but I also broke the window my father had just finished installing. So I ran down to the basement to hide and when he came home from work he tried to find me. I was hiding behind an old stove and he couldn’t reach me there. He said, “Junior, come out!” And I said, “No, Dad. You’re going to hit me.” And he said, “No I’m not.”Eventually Heck snuck out of the basement and his dad caught him and ended up punishing him. “We always kidded each other about that.”Name someone you admire.My wife. She is everything I’ve dreamed of in a woman.Do you have any hobbies (besides fixing things)?I like to garden and I like to go fishing, although I just started doing that again. I also like sports – baseball and basketball.
