Clifford James Hein

Clifford James Hein, retired Sutherlin dentist, passed away on April 26, 2010 at the age of 88. Dr. Hein was born in Enid, Oklahoma, on March 8, 1922, to Conrad and Ida Hein. His father was a Seventh-day Adventist pastor and his mother a nurse. Cliff was an honors student at Walla Walla College, when he was drafted by the Army during World War II, and assigned to an elite engineering division in Potsdam, New York. Later, Hein was selected by the Army to study dentistry. While at the University of Oregon Dental School, Hein met and married the love of his life, Alma Louise Olson. They celebrated their 65th anniversary September 2, 2009. After graduating from dental school in 1946, Clifford started his dental practice in Sutherlin, Oregon, at a time when the town was a booming logging town. He accepted all patients, and was often paid for dental services with freshly caught salmon, loads of firewood, or lawn services. Upon retirement, he reinvented his life, completing the Master Gardner Course, traveling with his wife throughout the world, and making yearly month-long driving trips through the United States. A devoted Christian, Cliff played an active role in the Sutherlin Seventh-day Adventist Church, serving as head elder and school board chairman for many years. A man of quiet faith, Cliff demonstrated his faith by action and example. Dr. Hein enjoyed camping, sight seeing, visiting new places, oil painting, photography, gardening, and above all, spending time with his family. He is survived by his wife, Alma, two sons, James J. Hein and his wife, Vikki, and George Alan Hein, and his partner, Clarence Donnell Barr; two grandsons, Scott Hein and his wife, Lisa Greene, and Matthew Hein and his wife, Nikki; and two great-grandsons, Julian and Quentin. He was preceded in death by his only sister, Erma Reisig Dybdahl. A memorial service will be held Friday, April 30, 2010, at 1 p.m. at the Sutherlin Seventh-day Adventist Church.