Meet Bob Heely, Career Visitation Chair
Lush, Bob and Teddy Heely (back)
Bob Heely is the driving force behind our club’s long-standing Career Visitation program. The late Ed Brickell, brought the idea with him from a Rotary Club in Florida and recruited Bob to do highlights of the student’s essays in 1980. Over the years, the program has introduced hundreds of high school seniors to potential careers.
Growing up in a military family, Bob’s childhood was spent on both the east and west coasts. He attributes the frequent moves with the ability to easily meet people. The family settled down in Portsmouth where Bob graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School. He then followed in his father’s footsteps as a VMI Cadet, graduating with a degree in civil engineering.
After serving three years in the U.S. Marine Corps as a Lieutenant/Combat Engineer Officer, Bob returned to the Tidewater area where he earned a Masters in Business Administration from Old Dominion University. It was on then to pursue a thirty year banking career. Early in his banking career, Bob became a member of the Kiwanis Club in Churchland.
Bob met his wife, Lush, in graduate school at ODU. After becoming a bank manager and being assigned to downtown Norfolk, Bob was recruited by his father-in-law, Lewis Shulman, to join the Rotary Club of Norfolk. Bob was familiar with Rotary as during his junior high years in Fullerton, CA, he received an award from the local Rotary Club. His mother insisted that he write a thank you note, which resulted in Bob and his mother attending a Rotary meeting where they were recognized by the club members for his politeness.
Rotary played a part in Bob’s move to Westminster-Canterbury as vice president for development and community relations. Fellow club member, Bob Latimer, suggested Bob talk with his wife, Earle Marie Latimer, then Westminster-Canterbury’s CEO about a possible position. There were similarities between his work in the bank and at Westminster-Canterbury as both are built upon developing long term relationships. Bob retired from Westminster-Canterbury in 2013. His retirement was short-lived as he was recruited by Harbor’s Edge first as an advisor for its foundation and in 2016 as part-time executive director of the Harbor Edge Foundation.
Bob joined the Rotary Club of Norfolk in 1977 and served as club president in 1984-1985. In 1980, Bob and Lush drove the Rotary Float in the Azalea Festival. It was quite experience as they were situated beneath the float (similar to the floats in the Rose Bowl parade). The honored country that year was the Netherlands. Bob’s daughter, Becky, rode on the float as a Dutch girl. Bob is a Paul Harris Fellow + 2.
When Bob leads singing at the club meetings, he frequently brings his guitar which gives a little insight into his hobbies. Bob enjoys singing sea shanties and Jimmy Buffett songs. Another hobby is golf which has led Bob into serving on the Virginia State Golf Association Golf Course rating team. He and three other members visit local courses, take measurements of fairway lengths, note hazards, and then play the course. He also loves spending time with his five granddaughters, three of whom live in the Tidewater area.
Bob and Lush have three children. Becky is the music teacher in the lower school of Norfolk Academy. Bobby followed his father and grandfather to VMI and now is a Naval Commander stationed in Pearl Harbor. Their youngest son, Teddy, is a concierge at Westminster-Canterbury.