Tour guide took unique interest in Atlanta visitors

By Shane Blatt

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Jim Heinisch was the consummate tour guide.

For more than 10 years with the Atlanta Preservation Center, he conducted walking tours while delivering a running stream of commentary to familiarize visitors and residents with downtown's rich history, wife Peggy Heinisch said.

"He was a history buff," Mrs. Heinisch said. "He loved Atlanta and enjoyed taking part in its culture and showing it off."

Venues included the Candler Building, the Fairlie-Poplar District, Woodruff Park and the Fox Theatre. He started the volunteer guides after moving to Atlanta in 1994.

Stepdaughter Lynn Heinisch took part in one of his tours of the Fox about seven years ago. She said as a tour guide, Mr. Heinisch delighted in the details, from dates to little-known facts, to "help [the Fox] come to life for people."But what struck her the most was how he took a special interest in the people on his tours, often making a connection that lasted for years.

James Reynold Heinisch, 77, of Atlanta died Monday of congestive heart failure at his home. The memorial service is 1 p.m. today at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Atlanta. Cremation Society of the South is in charge of arrangements.

Born in Vanceburg, Ky., in 1931, Mr. Heinisch came from humble roots. He was the youngest of nine children. His mother died when he was 4; his father, when he was 13. The siblings were a tight-knit, loving bunch, and they often put money aside to help the youngest Heinisch.

"Everybody put a little money in the pot, even to help buy a pair of corduroys when he went to high school," Mrs. Heinisch said.

Mr. Heinisch attended Otterbein College in Westerville, Ohio, along with his first wife, Frances Henry, who died in 1989. He graduated cum laude with a degree in history and began his career as a salesman with Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. in Cincinnati. He retired in 1992.

Mr. Heinisch cherished family, and over the years, he thanked his siblings for their support. To thank his four brothers who had served in World War II, Mr. Heinisch paid all their expenses to Washington in 2004 for the dedication of the World War II Memorial.

Mr. Heinisch loved traveling the globe. And last year, with a trip to South Dakota, he fulfilled a mission to all 50 states.

Additional survivors include two daughters, Sara Salmers of Toronto and Rebecca Heinisch Ducharme of Three Rivers, Canada; a stepdaughter, Lisa Heinisch Turney of Atlanta; two brothers Ernie Heinisch of Fort Mitchell, Ky., and Ray Heinisch of MacDowell, Ky.; a sister, Ruth Gall of Villa Hills, Ky.; four grandchildren; and a great-grandchild.

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