Honoring The Redhead From Needham
As many of you might have heard by now, Helen Heinsohn, the wife of Tommy and the famed “redhead from Needham” passed away, presumably from her long battle with brain cancer. We are all truly and deeply saddened by her passing and our hearts go out to Tom and the rest of the family.
I had the pleasure of dining with Helen and Tommy one night before a game a few years ago. I was doing a story on Mike Gorman and, by chance, I ended up alone in the press room with Tommy and Helen. As Tommy ignored me in favor of dinner, Helen gave me the first degree: What was I writing? Who was I? Where was I from? She was his mouthpiece, his protector, and the gatekeeper of his image. Any reporter who ever called the Heinsohn house had to get by Helen first. It was the job she did with great pride and voracity.
However, there was more to Helen, who had a quick memory, a sharp wit, and at times a razor tongue. She told me that for a time she worked as an assistant to a private detective in Los Angeles, that was where she met Tommy (I’m still pissed I didn’t ask how they met.) I can just imagine her back then as some sort of redheaded firecracker straight out of a Raymond Chandler book and that’s one of the ways I’ll choose to remember her.
The other way I want to remember Helen is the way most of us around the Celtics community knew her; Walking the sidelines of the Garden before a game, saying hello to friends and well wishers, dressed in a stylish hat with a shock of red hair peaking out the back. Even as her health took a turn, she kept her style and grace and most importantly, her attitude. The Garden will be just a little dimmer from now on without her and — while I don’t want to even think about it — my heart is broken for Tommy, who will have to go on now without his best bodyguard and friend.
I hope she has some peace now from the horrible illness that afflicted her for years and I hope all of you pause for a moment to think about the passing of another good soul from this earth, thanks to this horrible, horrible scourge of cancer.
Rest in Peace Helen. If there’s any consolation, you won’t have to spend any more Friday nights going to basketball games.
Here’s a nice story on the Heinsohn’s from a few years ago.
And you can send your condolences to the family by clicking here
November 25th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
I am so very sorry for Tommy Heinsohn and his family.
(comment edited by the staff)
November 25th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Thanks for your thoughts Boney.
November 25th, 2008 at 7:47 pm
A wonderful tribute.
Our thoughts are with Tommy at this sad moment.
November 25th, 2008 at 7:50 pm
Please accept my sympathies for your loss. You have spoken so lovingly of the “redhead from Needham”, that I imagine this time must be very hard for you. May all those loving memories give you comfort. I’ve been a Celtic fan for over 50 years and I look foward to your return to courtside.
November 25th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
Thanks. She was a real pistol. I’ll miss her.
November 25th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
Everyone here in the North has a lot of respect for Tommy. Death is a hard thing to swallow. We are sorry about the loss of your wife. Our thoughts are with you in your time of need.
RIP Helen.
November 25th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
Guys, make sure you send those condolence notes to the heinsohn family, follow the link below and you can leave a message for them.
http://www.gfdoherty.com/Obituaries.html
November 26th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
Great article on a wonderful lady. While most Celtics fans never met Helen, we all feel as though we knew the Redhead from Needham from the way Tommy always mentioned her in his broadcasts. My heart goes out to Tommy and my prayers are with him.
November 26th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
Thanks for providing the link to leave condolences. I’ll never forget how she used to play with my son back in the family room. She was the first stranger my son enjoyed being around.