Heinicke, Donald R. (Missoula ’51)
Posted: June 22, 2026
Don, 95, died April 2, 2026. He was born February 17, 1931, in St. Louis, MO, and raised in Sand Springs, OK. He graduated from Oklahoma A&M with bachelor’s in Horticulture and Forestry in 1954 and the U of Maryland with MS and Ph.D. in Horticulture in 1960. He is a self-employed Orchardist since 1972 when he bought his first orchard in the Lake Chelan area. Don then developed 353 acres called the Cascade Foothills Fruit and Land Co. Don is a partner and has developed a 60-acre orchard call Heinicke Orchards.
Don was in the Army 1954-56, Asst. Prof. Horticulture U of Wisconsin 60-61, Canada Dept. Agriculture Research Station 61-65, Asst. Prof. Horticulture U of Idaho 65-67, USDS Ag. Research 67-72 and Orchardist 1972-2010.
Don is the recipient of numerous awards and honors in the Horticultural Science field and has been the invited speaker at most (if not all) of the Fruit Grower meetings in the US. He has also served in many community activities including the Central Washington Hospital board, Central Washington Bank board and the Central Washington Health Plan as Director. Don served as a Commissioner for the Washington State Fish & Wildlife Dept. 1998-2001. Don jumped at Missoula 1951 and at West Yellowstone 1952-53.
