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WRITER MICHAEL HEATON, WIDELY KNOWN AS THE "MINISTER OF CULTURE," DIED ON SEPT. 19 AT THE AGE OF 66
He
began writing his weekly "Minister of Culture" column for the Plain
Dealer in 1987. The feature soon became a must-read in the paper's
Friday! magazine. In addition to writing "entertainingly about
entertainment," as he once described his column, Heaton wrote about
all-things Cleveland, raising his three daughters -- otherwise known as
Miss Thing, Peaches and Shorty in his columns -- and heartfelt tributes
to figures who'd recently died. He explained in his final "Minister"
column in 2018 that the column was "a great place to fool around about a
wide range of topics, including myself."
Heaton
also reviewed concerts, movies and TV, and books and wrote in-depth
profiles for the paper's Sunday Magazine. He was one of the first
reporters at Ground Zero on Sept. 11, 2001
He
published two books, which were collections of his work: "The Best of
the Minister of Culture" and "Truth and Justice for Fun and Profit." He
co-authored several books, including "Motherhood and Hollywood" with his
sister, the actress Patricia Heaton, who starred in the television
shows "Everybody Loves Raymond" and "The Middle."
His father was Chuck Heaton, the longtime Cleveland Browns reporter for the Plain Dealer, who died in 2008 at the age of 90.
Among
his family and friends mourning his loss are his beloved daughters
Madison, Zoe and Sydney. Zoe shared a quote from one of her dad's
favorite writers, Hunter S. Thompson, on social media and in her
remembrance of him during his funeral Mass at St. Ignatius of Antioch
Church: "Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of
arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid
in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out,
and loudly proclaiming 'Wow! What a Ride1'"
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