Heinrich Franz Johann Hackl passed away peacefully on June 10, 2025, at home in Sheboygan, after a full life of 88 years.
Heinrich was born on August 19, 1936, in the old city of Graz, at the edge of the Styrian hills of Austria. In his youth, he was filled with a longing for distant lands and unknown paths. At the age of sixteen, he left home for hotel school and then traveled through Switzerland, Norway, and Sweden. After a time, he took to the sea, working on cargo and tanker ships, and eventually graduating to cruise ships, finishing his time at sea aboard the Swedish-American Line’s Gripsholm.
In 1963, after five adventurous years on the world’s oceans, and drawn by a love of American pulp fiction novels about gangsters, Heinrich sailed westward to the great city of Chicago. Though the first harsh winter there turned him back for a time, he soon returned and started work at the famed Drake Hotel. It was there that he met his future wife, Deborah. They were married on February 10, 1966, beginning a loving partnership of nearly six decades.
For three decades, Heinrich served as banquet captain at the Drake, overseeing great feasts and quiet gatherings alike, with a sure hand and a knowing eye. He served kings and queens, celebrities, and everyday people. He took particular pleasure in taking care of the professional hockey teams who stayed at the Drake, who came to dine not in pretense, but in hunger for strength and renewal. An avid cook, Heinrich could impress even the executive chefs of the Drake with his culinary creations. It was a talent he shared often with his family and friends.
Heinrich was a true citizen of the world, with an infectious charm and curiosity that helped him make friends easily wherever he went. In September 2000, he proudly became a United States citizen, a fitting milestone for a man who had already embraced life across many lands. Of all the places he traveled, he found special joy and contentment in Wisconsin. In his garden, there was always an Edelweiss planted to remind him of home.
He built his life upon simple, enduring foundations: a good night’s rest, three square meals a day; never undervaluing the basics that sustain us. He loved good food and the time spent gathered around the table with family and friends.
He was a craftsman of wood, fashioning birdhouses and rustic furniture with a loving hand. He was also a devotee of the game of tennis, delighting in its grace and vigor through all his days. And he was a friend to many a feline companion, for no cat ever left his side without gaining a place in his heart.
He is survived by his beloved wife Deborah, his children Nels and Heinz, his grandchildren Claire and Vince, and his daughter-in-law, Cindy. He is futher survived by a nephew, a grandnephew, a great grandnephew and niece in Austria.
He leaves behind a legacy of hospitality, craftsmanship, and love, and the memory of a life well-lived, in both far-flung journeys and the quiet joys of home.
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