LOCAL SPORTS: Longtime coach Ray Heitmueller dies
Oct. 18—Ray Heitmueller lived for competition.
"I guess I just have a competitive spirit," he told The Times in 2005.
The longtime varsity girls basketball coach at Cullman — he started the program in 1976 — died Monday night at age 82.
Heitmueller, a 2005 inductee of the Cullman County Sports Hall of Fame, coached the Lady Bearcats for 22 years before retiring in 1998 with 355 wins and 14 area championships.
However, after only a year off, Heitmueller — who also coached West Point's varsity boys during his career — was hired to lead the Fairview girls basketball team. He retired, again, three years later.
Then, St. Bernard called.
"I had resigned at Fairview thinking that was it, " Heitmueller told The Times in 2005. "But when Father Joel (Martin) called and asked me about coaching the girls, my love for St. Bernard caused me to say yes. If it wasn't for St. Bernard, I wouldn't have gotten a degree.
"I've always had a big warm spot for St. Bernard."
The 1959 Cullman High graduate retired from coaching again in 2006 before taking over as athletic director at SBP.
Funeral services for Heitmueller will be Thursday, Oct. 20 at 2 p.m. at St. John's Evangelical Protestant Church with Rev. John Richter officiating. Interment will follow services in Cullman City Cemetery. Visitation will be at the church from 12 until 2 p.m.
Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Jane Ann Heitmueller; sons, Matthew Ray (Kathy), and Will (Brittney), and grandchildren, Jake and Maggie Mae Heitmueller.
