Don Heldmann did a little bit of everything in both his roles as a teacher and assistant football coach at Fenwick ever since arriving at the Oak Park school in 1981.
The beloved teacher and coach was the defensive coordinator for some of Fenwick’s most successful football teams, but also served as equipment manager, video coordinator and even drove the team bus to daily practices at the Priory and all its road games.
Heldmann, 79, a resident of Glen Ellyn since 1962, died Feb. 6 after a battle with cancer.
Due to his illness, Heldmann could not coach Fenwick’s football team last fall, but was listed on the roster as “Coach Emeritus.” He served as the Friars’ Eye in the Sky in the press box during the 2014 season.
“He coached both of my brothers-in-law at Fenwick and St. Joseph,” current Fenwick football coach Gene Nudo said. “Don was also a fixture with the Catholic League coaches clinic. Don became a dear friend and confidant for me as Fenwick’s coach. He will be missed.”
Heldmann served as defensive coordinator under former Fenwick coach Paul Connor for all nine seasons. Heldmann was an assistant for seven different coaches at Fenwick and the defensive coordinator for Fenwick’s state semifinal teams in 1981 and 1995 and for Prep Bowl championship teams in 1991 and 2010.
He was inducted into the Catholic League Hall of Fame in 1991 as a coach and a player and was inducted into the East Suburban Catholic Conference Hall of Fame in 2009.
“I always thought we had the best defensive coordinator in the Chicagoland area,” Connor said. “That was Don. He was a student of the game. He knew how to handle personnel so well. He was a great role model for the boys.”
At Fenwick, Heldmann taught history, religion, economics and mechanical drawing and served as Dean of Students for a time. He retired as a teacher at Fenwick in 2013.
“He was a very good, self trained, amateur artist,” said Gerald Lordan, a Fenwick history teacher. “He would do free-hand replica drawings of Bill Mauldin’s Willie and Joe WWII cartoons and give them as presents.”
Before arriving at Fenwick, Heldmann was a teacher and coach at St. Mel, St. Joseph and Notre Dame. He was the coach at St. Joseph for the 1970 football season. Heldmann was a 1954 classmate at St. Mel with legendary St. Joseph boys basketball coach Gene Pingatore. Pingatore played basketball and Heldmann played football at St. Mel.
“He was a great guy, a good coach and tough as nails,” Pingatore said. “He loved the kids and they loved him. He will be missed by many.”
Heldmann served with the Army First Division in Korea. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Mary, and children Matthew, Steven, Donna Tucker and Madeleine; and five grandchildren.
Visitation will be held from 4-8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 12 at Leonard Funeral Home in Glen Ellyn. A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 13, at St. Petronille Catholic Church in Glen Ellyn. A private burial will be at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood.
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Donations can be made to the Don Heldmann Memorial Scholarship Fund at Fenwick, or at Fisher House with the Hines VA Hospital.
Twitter: @geomwilcox