He only spent five years on Kaua’i, but he made an impact that spread much further than just the Hyatt Regency Kaua’i Resort & Spa at Po’ipu, where he was general manager. That was evident in August when friends turned
He only spent five years on Kaua’i, but he made an impact that spread much further than just the Hyatt Regency Kaua’i Resort & Spa at Po’ipu, where he was general manager.
That was evident in August when friends turned out en masse for a benefit golf tournament to raise funds for Mark Douglas Heinzelman’s cancer treatment costs.
He lost his battle with cancer last month, and friends will gather again this Thursday, Dec. 6, at 8 a.m. at the hotel’s Seaview Terrace for a Hawaiian memorial service for a beloved former manager.
“He was a dear friend to all of us,” said Jerry Gibson, who took over as general manager for Heinzelman when he moved on to become general manager of the Hyatt Lake Las Vegas.
“He was an outstanding professional who energized the hospitality industry with a special blend of aloha and business savvy that made him such a great contributor to the community,” said Gibson. “Those who knew him miss him, and find it hard to believe he has left us.”
Kaua’i friends and some mainland visitors organized a benefit golf tournament in August, once word spread rapidly of Heinzelman’s condition and massive medical bills. In addition to the tournament, a silent auction and barbecue raised funds for a delicate and expensive operation that offered some hope for the complex form of cancer he suffered from.
“The turnout was tremendous,” said Ambuj Uppal, the hotel’s controller. “It was a testimony to the loyalty and devotion the Kaua’i community had for him.”
Heinzelman began his career with Hyatt Hotels and Resorts in 1980 as a corporate management trainee in New Orleans, after graduating from Farleigh Dickinson University in Rutherford, N.J.
He joined the Hyatt Regency Kaua’i Resort & Spa in 1995, became general manager of the Hyatt Lake Las Vegas in 1999, and his most recent position was general manager of the Grand Hyatt San Francisco, as well as vice president and managing director of Hyatt Corporate.
Before coming to Kaua’i, he was general manager of the Hyatt Grand Champions Resort in Indian Wells, Calif., near Palm Springs. He was born July 20, 1958, in Teaneck, N.J. Family and friends, including colleagues from Hyatt Hotels, attended services for him in Nevada City, Calif., late last month. He was 43.
A scholarship fund has been established for his only child, Mark D. Heinzelman, Jr., and donations may be made at the December 6 memorial service, or sent to his wife, Mayra Heinzelman, care of the Grand Hyatt San Francisco.
