Constance R. Heller Horacek

Constance Ruth Heller Horacek, of Reading, passed away on October 16th in Philadelphia after spending two weeks as a patient in the Neurological ICU at Jefferson Hospital. Never one for the formality of "professor," she was known by all as Connie. She will be missed dearly by her family, friends, and students--all of whom knew her to be unfailingly gregarious, generous, and kind-hearted. As a mother, a friend, a neighbor, and a professor, Connie touched countless lives with her spirited selflessness, her fearless dynamism, and her unforgettable non-sequiturs.

Born in Campbell, Nebraska, to Roy and Mildred (Holt) Heller, Connie is survived by her sister, Bernadine Collins, of South Burlington, Vermont, and her daughters, Marika Horacek and Kachina Martin, and her son-in-law, Glen Martin, all of Reading. She was preceded in death by her younger sister, Sygni Wiard.

Since 1980, Connie was a professor of textile science and visual merchandising in the Visual Arts and Design Department at Albright College in Reading, PA, serving as the Department Chair for many years. Connie also taught ceramics courses at Albright. At Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois, she taught Clothing and Textile Design courses. Connie's distinguished career as an educator began at Ottawa Junior High School in Ottawa, Kansas, where she taught studio art.

Connie graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Midland Lutheran College in Fremont, Nebraska, with majors in art, education, and psychology, and a minor in speech. She earned an M.A. in Design and Ceramic Sculpture from Western Illinois University, and an M.F.A. in Art Education and Ceramic Sculpture from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, Maryland. An endlessly creative lifelong learner, Connie undertook graduate and postgraduate studies at such places as Colorado State University, the University of Kansas, Hood College, Western Illinois University, Kutztown University, the University of Tennessee, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, and the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts.

Connie represented the United States at the European Federation of Window Dressing Schools conference in Milan, Italy. She also delivered keynote speeches in Lima and Tocna, Peru; St. Paul, Minnesota; and Bloemfontein, South Africa. Connie was the recipient of the United Methodist Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award at Albright College.

As a ceramic artist, Connie has been honored in numerous exhibitions, including at an alumni exhibition at Maryland College Institute of Art; several exhibits at Western Illinois University; the Local Color exhibit at Albright College's Freedman Gallery; and the American Sewing Expo's Push the Envelope competition.

A longtime champion of the City of Reading, Connie served an appointed post as secretary on the Penn Square Commission for many years, helping to revitalize and rehabilitate the city that was her adopted home. Connie also served on the advisory board of the Reading Muhlenberg Career and Technology Center.

Connie wrote the foreword of Uncovering Fashion by Marian Wolbers, published in 2009.

Connie was known for her encouraging nature, her authenticity, and her ability to put those around her absolutely at ease, making strangers feel like lifelong friends. She could strike up a conversation with anyone, and had a singular talent for making every person with whom she interacted feel important, listened to, and valued. In the 1980s, Connie famously demonstrated her adaptability and conviviality when attending a dinner at a local hotel ballroom for prospective Albright students. It was only after she had sat down and chatted with her tablemates through the salad course that she realized she had inadvertently walked into the wrong ballroom, where a bird watchers' conference reception was being held.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, November 7th at 2pm, in the Merner-Pfeiffer-Klein Memorial Chapel on Albright's campus. At her request, interment will take place at the Zion Lutheran Cemetery in Campbell, Nebraska. The Constance Ruth Heller Horacek Memorial Scholarship Fund has been established at the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the fund be sent to Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, 556 Parkway, Gatlinburg, Tennessee 37738.