Will was born on 16 APR 1929 in Shelby County, Tennessee, the son of unknown parents.
He died on 13 SEP 2009 in Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee.
His wife was Joyce F Ennis. They were married, but the date and place have not been found. They had no known children.
| Event | Date | Details | Source | Multimedia | Notes | ||||
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| Birth | 16 APR 1929 |
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| Death | 13 SEP 2009 |
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| Burial | SEP 2009 |
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Note 1
William "Bill" Brownell Heffernan, 80, of Memphis, died peacefully September 13, 2009 at St. Francis Hospital. Born on April 16, 1929, Bill Heffernan was a 3rd generation and lifelong Memphian.
After attending both Christian Brothers and Central High Schools, Bill started as a rock and roll disc jockey, hosting programs in Louisiana, Texas, San Francisco, and of course Memphis. A pioneer in the early days of radio and television, Bill earned significant acclaim and celebrity under the stage name Bill Anthony, hosting Bill Anthony's "The Big Beat" on WMCT between 1959-1961. For the next ten years, Bill held various radio and television sales positions in Memphis with WMC, WREC, WMPS and others; and in 1971, Bill co-founded and served as President of SWEEP Productions, a local recording studio known for producing successful jingles and other advertisements for radio and television. Following his tenure at SWEEP Productions, Bill continued in advertising, handling national accounts for automakers Chrysler and Suzuki among others. In addition to working on-air, Bill often worked in front of the camera. Noted for his distinguished voice and charismatic presence, Bill worked often as an on-camera actor for film and television, and is perhaps best remembered locally for appearances in local radio and television commercials. A lifelong student with a passion for mentoring and coaching young people, Bill spent 10 years prior to retirement teaching Broadcast Journalism at Memphis Catholic High School, where he was an avid fundraiser for the school and strong advocate for his students.
Bill is preceded in death by his parents Eugene Lambert and Edith Brownell Heffernan and his brother H. Pat Heffernan.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 18 years Joyce Ennis Heffernan; three children, Dan Heffernan (Mary), Kevin Heffernan (Trisby), and Kathryn Christine "Kacey" Rosson (Chris);
two stepchildren Dr. Charles McNutt II and Eric McNutt; his brother Eugene L. Heffernan, Jr., as well as 7 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.
A memorial service to honor the life of Bill Heffernan will be held in the Chapel of the Church of Christ at White Station, 1106 Colonial Rd., Memphis, TN 38117 on Monday, September 21, 2009. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m. and the service will follow at 11:00 a.m. Both will be open to the public. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made on behalf of Bill Heffernan to Memphis Urban Ministries, St. Jude Hospital, or the Church of Christ at White Station. Canale Funeral Directors 901-452-6400.
OBITUARY: The Commercial Appeal, Memphis TN, 17 Sep 2009
Bill married (1) Mary Virginia PLUNKET on 02 Jan 1951 in Wilkinson Co MS, and (2) Joyce Ennis MCNUTT.
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