Spencer Heath Archive

Item 2055

A school essay by Howard Lewis of Winchester, Virginia, son of Heath’s friends, Richard and Marian Lewis. Spencer MacCallum and family and others who knew Heath think it a remarkably accurate portrayal.

September 9, 1956

A FINE GENTLEMAN

If you see striding along the street a visitor to Winchester with a shining gray beard, you will know it is Mr. Heath. His cheeks are so pink you might think he is Santa Clause except that he has a neatly pointed beard. Behind his pince-nez glasses, attached to a long black cord leading around his neck, two piercing blue eyes squint whenever he hears anything interesting.

The bald portion of his head, surrounded by a fringe of white hair, is as pink as his cheeks. From the hottest to the coldest of days he never wears a hat. It was told even in Africa he refused to wear a protective helmet. Also in the coldest winters in Canada, he remains bare­headed.

By his gay and forceful pace one would never know he is in his seventies.

Instead of bothering with necessary nuisances, he prepares ahead for them. An example is that he has his scarf fastened into the back of his coat so he won’t worry about losing it. That frees his mind for grand and creative ideas. During a conversation, he does not talk about tri­vial things, but talks about every high-minded idea from inventing airplane propellers to the discussion of social philosophy, religion and art.

Although he is high-minded, he is also very thought­ful of others and humble. One time when he was at a friend’s house, they had a stopped-up plumbing fixture, so he took off his coat and fixed it without a word. Another time, a little girl was at a beach, and her mother was somewhere else, and Mr. Heath invited her for lunch and entertained her for the rest of the day. Although I don’t understand everything he says, he certainly is a fine gentleman.

 

Howard Lewis

English

     September 9, 1956