Former Wisc. Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan S. Heffernan dies at 86.

• Author: Zemlicka, Jack

Byline: Jack Zemlicka

The separation of work and play is a delicate balance and one which was achieved by former Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan S. Heffernan, who died at age 86 on April 13. A native of Frederic, Wis., Heffernan sat for more than three dec-ades on the Supreme Court starting in 1964 and serving as chief judge from 1983 until his retirement in 1995. Although his 31-year tenure as a justice is the third longest in state history, it was his overall embrace of life which left a lasting impression on his peers. "One of the things he taught me was that there is more to life than just what went on at the Capitol," said former Justice Janine P. Geske, who was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1993. Geske, who resigned in 1998 and is a professor at Marquette University Law School, remembers Heffernan for his pleasant demeanor as much as for his scholarly approach to the law. "He would often talk about taking his dogs up to fish on the Brule River and he really took advantage of his time away from court," said Geske. Justice Jon P. Wilcox accompanied Heffernan and his family on several occasions to a cabin near the river and both shared a passion for trout fishing and labradors. "I used to have labs myself and we'd joke that when a case involving dogs came to the court, that they would be well taken care of," said Wilcox, who first met Heffernan in 1979. Wilcox was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1992 and will retire at the end of July. Up until a few months ago, Wilcox routinely saw Heffernan at meetings for "The Academy," an eclectic sampling of judges, law school professors, doctors and other professionals who gather routinely to discuss legal topics in the University of Wisconsin Union. More than a decade removed from the bench, Heffernan kept his finger on the judicial pulse of the state. During his career, he helped develop some of the most significant changes to the system during his career. In addition to championing civil liberties and...