Richard Heffron, 76; TV, Film Director ("Rockford Files" pilot, "North and South")
Stephen Bowie
and a few feature films prominent in the seventies, died on August 27
in Seattle.
Heffron directed episodes of "The Lawyers" and "Banacek" before
graduating to TV movies, helming the pilots for "Toma" and "The
Rockford Files" and later the miniseries "North and South" and "V: The
Final Battle." His features included the documentary "Fillmore," the
Peter Fonda vehicles "Futureworld" and "Outlaw Blues," and the Mike
Hammer adaptation "I, the Jury."
Reported in the October issue of DGA Monthly with more details on a
relative's blog here:
http://stockadventures.wordpress.com/2007/08/28/richard-t-heffron-6-oct-1930-to-27-aug-2007/
Stephen Bowie
Richard Heffron, 76
Richard T. Heffron, 76, passed away on Monday, August 27, 2007.
He was resident of Bainbridge Island for the past five years, where he
could be seen beachcombing, picking blackberries and reading the NY
Times.
Richard started out as a documentary filmmaker for Guggenheim
Productions, then moved to San Francisco, where he formed the
production company, Medion Inc., with Bert Decker and Claude Jarman.
In 1972, he directed one of the first rockumentaries, "Fillmore." He
went on to direct feature films including "Futureworld," "I the Jury"
and "La R'volution Franaise."
His television movies include "I Will Fight No More Forever," "A Rumor
of War," "The Morning After" and the pilot episode of "The Rockford
Files."
Among his mini-series credits are "The Final Battle," "Napoleon and
Josephine," "The Mystic Warrior" and "North and South."
He is survived his wife of 18 years, Lynn Gardner Heffron; his
daughters, Elizabeth (Matt Smith) of Bainbridge Island and Cindy
Parkanyi (George) of Ottawa, Canada; his son, Eric (Cynthia) of Los
Angeles; and stepdaughter, Kelly Kowalski of Sante Fe, New Mexico. He
leaves behind 10 grandchildren, Olivia, Benedek, Rebecca, Thomas,
Sean, Morgan, Nicholas, Marley, Oliver and Maddie.
He is also survived by his first wife, Jane Vacho; and her daughter,
Maryanne Angliongto.
There will be a celebration of his life at his home-away-from-home,
the Streamliner Diner on Bainbridge Island, on Saturday, September
1st, from 4 to 6 p.m.
Please sign the online Guest Book for the family at: www.cookfamilyfuneralhome.com.
Arrangements are by Cook Family Funeral Home.
Hoodude
August 28th, 2007...5:45 pm
Richard T. Heffron, Director - 6 Oct 1930 to 27 Aug 2007
Yesterday at 8:30PM (PST) in Seattle Wa. saw the quiet passing of
Richard Thomas Heffron, film director. Richard started off in
documentary films, experiencing and chronicling bloody combat in the
Vietnam war, homelessness in the streets of Washington D.C., and the
apex of the 1960’s/70’s San Francisco rock scene directing the iconic
“Fillmore”.
In a difficult business, Richard then made a name for himself in TV
movies, TV series, feature films, and mini-series
<http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0373612/>. Richard devoured history.
Perhaps this was his specialty, as he brought it wonderfully alive on
screen - the Indian wars, the French Revolution, the Civil War,
Vietnam, the Sixties. He even sank the Titanic convincingly, on a TV
movie budget.
Over the past 14 years, my family and I had the privilege of visiting
with him many times in Tarzana, CA , Santa Barbara, CA, and Bainbridge
Island, WA. We even toured the Canadian Maritimes and the Cabot Trail
together. We had occasion to talk about life, politics, movies,
sports and the markets - most recently 3 weeks ago at the Streamliner
diner in Winslow, WA. My second son Thomas is even named after him.
You see, Richard was my father-in-law, and let it be known that he is
loved, and will be missed.
Cheers,
Allocator
--
Transduce That Marimba