In Memoriam – Hank Heilig (1930 – July 15, 2022)
by Chris Dubuque…..
The Citroën community has lost another great personality. Hank Heilig passed away on July 15, 2022 at the age of 91. Hendrikus Wilhelmus Heilig (known as “Henk” or more commonly, “Hank”) was born in Velsen, Holland in 1930.
Hank originally moved his family from Holland to Vancouver BC in 1970. Soon after arriving, he went to to work for Citroën Canada, at their dealership on Burrard Street in downtown Vancouver.
Hank served as service manager and helped Citroën launch the SM model in Canada, including training other dealerships on the SM.
After Citroën stopped selling cars in North America and were winding their operations down, Hank decided to leave Citroën Canada and in 1974, he purchased an existing business called Parthenon Motors in Vancouver. Parthenon originally handled marques such as Rolls Royce and Peugeot, but Hank chose to focus the business on parts and repairs for Citroëns. Hank’s sons Paul and Rudy Heilig learned Citroëns during this time.
Hank ran Parthenon from several different locations in and around Vancouver but by 1983/1984, he decided to move the family to San Diego and take over another existing Citroën dealer, Riveria Motors. They changed the business name to Citroën Concours of America.
Gradually Hank handed the torch to his sons Paul and Rudy. But Hank did not fully retire; he continued to rebuild components for Citroën cars well into his 80’s. Rudy and Paul have carried the torch and started their own businesses, both associated with Citroëns.
Hank, you will be missed. Condolences to the family.
My sincere condolences to the Heilig family. My mother was also born in 1930 and passed January 19, 2020 at the age of 89. In 1960 my father bought a 2CV and she drove it on a paper route for the Oregonian in Portland, Oregon, The kids, my brothers and I, would help deliver the papers. When i was old enough to drive I bought my own Citroen, an ID-19. I bought new Michelin X 400 tires at Riveria Motors in San Diego when I drove there for the San Diego Comicon in 1973. I was so happy to make it on bald tires, but the inner tubes held air all the way. I had freshly charged spheres from Terry Keeton in Texas and I had also visited Curtis Circus in San Francisco. The ID-19 didn’t have power steering like the DS, but the new tires made the steering light and responsive.. Many thanks to Hank Heilig for supporting Citroen enthusiasts like my family for so many years..
On the way home we were passed by a Citroen SM sailing by rather serenely at about 100 mph..