A public servant and philanthropist, John Heinz was a man of hope who believed in the power of positive change. He died tragically in a plane crash in 1991 at the age of 52, but his memory lives on through two funds at The Pittsburgh Foundation that continue his lifelong legacy of giving to his hometown of Pittsburgh, a city synonymous with the Heinz family name.
Born in Pittsburgh in 1938, John was the only child of philanthropist and industrialist H.J. Heinz II, chairman of the H.J. Heinz Company, and Joan Diehl McCauley.
John graduated from Yale University in 1960 and received his MBA from Harvard in 1963. He met his wife, the former Teresa Simžes-Ferreira, in Geneva Switzerland and they later married.
After serving in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, John briefly worked on the reelection campaign of Sen. Hugh Scott (R-PA). He worked with the Heinz family firm from 1965-1970 and went on to teach business in the Graduate School of Industrial Administration at Carnegie Mellon University.
Believing that public service was his ultimate calling, John became active in Republican politics. He ran for office in a special election in 1971, winning a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives by a large margin; he went on to win re-election in 1972 and 1974 and served as a U.S. Congressman until 1976 when he won his first senatorial bid. He won re-election in 1982 and 1988.
A staunch supporter of Pennsylvania, John worked to change the systems that he believed were failing and advance legislation that helped those in need of assistance, especially the elderly, healthcare, human development, education and the environment. It was a trait that gave him appeal that crossed party lines.
Active in charitable endeavors throughout his life, John was Chairman of The Heinz Charitable and Family Trust and Trustee of The Howard Heinz Endowment. The fund supports the charitable purposes of The Pittsburgh Foundation with preference given to more than 60 charitable purposes and organizations in which John Heinz had an active interest during his lifetime as indicated in a personal letter to the Foundation.