originally posted on 12/11/2023
View full-sized image.
ACE remembers its current members who pass away. Recently, one of ACE’s early members, Joe Heflin, left this world. He had the heart of an enthusiast, but his passion eventually led him to a career in the amusement industry. He passed away on September 6 at the age of 76.
In the early 1980s, he authored a number of historical articles for RollerCoaster! magazine.
At the recent IAAPA Expo in Orlando, Florida, several industry professionals gathered at the WhiteWater West booth to remember Joe, tell stories and toast to his memory.
Longtime members shared thoughts with each other via email:
ACE cofounder Richard Munch recalls having spent time with Joe at the 2010 Golden Ticket Awards at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.
Photo: Richard Munch. View full-sized image.
Joe lived in Reston, Virginia (a planned community), which was of interest to me as an architectural student. I remember that he had great interest in the coasters of Prior and Church (P&C), particularly the Airplane Coaster at Playland in Rye, New York. He was finally able to find the blueprints in the Playland archives in a secret room at the park. (As a side note, the room and archives still existed when I surveyed the various buildings in 2018.) Unfortunately, the cover sheet was missing, which was always a point of contention with Joe, as he felt that someone had stolen it years earlier.
He authored several detailed articles for RollerCoaster! but soon left the club after getting work within the industry. I lost contact with him afterward until I saw him in 2010 in Williamsburg, Virginia.
He was an early ACE member and should be recognized for his research and early writings on P&C.
— Richard Munch, cofounder, and ACE’s first president
I was saddened to learn of the passing of Joe Heflin. I knew him early on as an enthusiast, keenly fascinated by the historical aspect of the amusement industry, spending considerable time researching parks, people and roller coasters. His work — well, passion — helped all of us, laying a solid foundation for what others would do in succeeding research projects.
Joe was heavily involved in the research of vintage roller coasters and designers while in ACE. He maintained that passion when he made the move from enthusiast to industry man. His efforts spurred on others to embrace the research and preservation aspects of our organization. He helped to pave the way.
— B. Derek Shaw
I knew Joe Heflin because he worked for WhiteWater West, and I used to meet with him every year at the IAAPA Expo. I did not know him when he was an ACE member but was told he wrote for RollerCoaster! years ago. I learned from the obituary that ran in Amusement Today that he was with WhiteWater for 35 years and that prior to that he was employed by Intamin and Chance. I found this paragraph to be of particular interest:
Post-university, Heflin focused his energy and career research on roller coasters and amusement parks, which included meeting, interviewing and writing about those who today are considered by many to have shaped the Golden Years of the amusement park industry.
It was nice to learn that he helped establish some of ACE's early relationships with the industry, and I appreciate his contributions.
— Jeffrey Seifert
Joe was quite the character and for me someone I looked up to as far as sales executives went in the industry. He didn’t just push his product and talk trash about competitors, he thoughtfully sold his product and put in the effort to learn the financial models of the industry while developing incredibly close relationships with the operators.
Up until about 15 years ago, he used to pen a restaurant rundown for Amusement Today’s annual IAAPA issue so attendees would know to try new spots that Joe (a food and wine snob as good as they came) would suggest.
He helped WhiteWater enter a completely new market for them selling dozens of wet/dry slide complexes to the family-owned parks from Quassy to Canobie to Indiana Beach and many more. Those led to the spinning rapids, which combined the wet dry slide concept with a river rapids ride. Not as many were sold, but the prototype at Adventureland in Iowa led to several more, including impressive custom layouts at Hansa Park and Parc Astérix in Europe. Prior to having Joe on the team, WhiteWater was exclusively a waterpark supplier.
It is a sad loss for all who knew him and the industry in general.
— Mark Rosenzweig
Joe expressed his interest in the historical aspect of the amusement industry by writing for RollerCoaster! magazine and its predecessor, Coaster World.
Images: Courtesy Tim Baldwin. View full-sized image.
I remember Joe from the early days of ACE, where he was an intriguing presence. Of course, he wrote a couple of fabulous articles for ACE's Coaster World and RollerCoaster! magazines (e.g., “Traver Cyclones: Re-examination") in the early 1980s that were chock full of fascinating info and insights (very heavy on footnotes too). Robert Cartmell in his book, The Incredible Scream Machine, even cited Joe, mentioning his pieces in ACE, and using Joe's listing of Traver and Prior and Church roller coasters, mentioning it was the most accurate to date.
Joe went to work in the amusement industry, and was notably senior vice president at WhiteWater West, and a board of directors member of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions.
Joe was an interesting gentleman, expert enthusiast and strong amusement industry professional, with strong opinions and passions.
— Randy Geisler, ACE’s third president
#ACENews