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Ethel J. Heller and two sons, Henry R.
Heller. Jr. and Ralph C. Heller, both
of whom are identified with the Winter
&
Co. enterprises, and his brother Wil-
in New York, but a year ago he moved
liam G. Heller, president of the com-
to Memphis to open a new plant there
pany.
for the company, where he was joined
The funeral was held on Thursday,
by his son. Henry H. Heller. Jr. For
June 26th. at the National Funeral Par-
many years he was a resident of Larch-
lors in Memphis. Tenn. and interment
mont, N. Y. but upon moving to Mem-
phis he established a new home at 69 took place in that city.
Henry R. Heller gave everything he
had to the piano business. He was an
indefatigable worker and was incessant-
ly working on improvements, new scales
and new ? designs, as well as many de-
vices to be used in the process of manu-
facturing which would save time and
effort. Besides being the technical ex-
pert of the W inter organization, he was
consulted from time to time on various
trade problems of a technical nature
due to his long technical experience and
outstanding success in production mat-
ters.
Henry R. Heller, Executive Vice-Pres., Winter & Co.—
Passes Away Suddenly in Memphis, Tenn.
Henry R. Heller. Executive Vice-
President of W inter & Co., New York,
passed away suddenly at his home in
Memphis. Tenn. early Tuesday morn-
ing. June 24th. at the age of 59.
Mr. Heller, who was a son of Got-
fried Heller, one of the founders of
NAMM Members to Learn
Group Piano Instruction
HENRY R. HELLER
W inter & Co., was brought up in the
piano factory under the guidance of his
father and had become one of the best-
known designers and technical experts
as well as production men in the piano
industry, having served in this capacity
with Winter & Co. for over forty-five
years.
Some of Mr. Heller's achievements
by which he will always be remembered
was the creating of the Musette which
was introduced by Winter & Co. in
1935. the Pianette and the Lowboy
pianos in 1936. It was also in that year
that he perfected the Kesoflector for the
44-inch Musette and the Resonatonic
Scale for the 34-inch Musette, entailing
the use of only one bridge without an
overstrung bass.
For many years, he had made his
headquarters at the W inter & Co. plant
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, JULY, 1952
St. Albans Farway. Besides opening the
new plant in Memphis, he had the gen-
eral supervision of the other factories
of the Winter & Co. group, including
that of Mason & Risch in Toronto, Can-
ada, Conover Cable Piano Co. in Ore-
gon. 111. and the Kranieh & Bach and
Ivers & Pond factories, as well as the
parent plant in New York of W inter
& Co.
Mr. Heller was a veteran of World
W ar I and a member of the American
Legion Larchmont Post. He was also a
member of the Larchmont Shore Club
and of the Chickasaw Country Club of
Memphis. Tenn.
Mr. Heller won United States and
Canadian Single Sculling Champion-
ship. In 1918. won the General Pershing
Cup for Singles Sculling.
He is survived by a widow, Mrs.
NAMM members drawn from the au-
dience will serve as "'guinea pigs" in a
demonstration of latest class piano
teaching at the. Wednesday morning ses-
sion. One member of the volunteer trial
group will be seated at a piano on the
stage, and others will use dummy key-
boards in learning to play. This meth-
od has proved especially effective and
practical in the smaller music store,
which may have neither the space nor
the capital to tie up ten pianos for class
teaching. The demonstration will high-
light an entire study course and teach-
ing material available.
Like the industrial music clinic on
Tuesday, the two store studio clinics
will be limited to NAMM members,
with their convention badge as admis-
sion. Verne R. Marceaux, NAMM's ed-
ucation division director, will be in
charge of both sessions, which begin at
10 a.m. each day in the grand ballroorr
and continue for two hours.
The W ednesday session will show the
proper physical organization and layout
of a store studio, and the procedures,
office forms, credit arrangements and
other mechanics necessary to smooth
and economical operation. In addition
to the class piano demonstration, there
will be another demonstration of how to
get students into the course. A skit will
show how a skilled registrar calls upon
a housewife and enrolls her child. Pay-
ment of teachers, piano rental plans and
the advantages of class work to mer-
chants, students and educators will also
be discussed.
51