Sid Hetzler
Sid Hetzler, the first president of Friends of the Festival that has long operated the Riverbend Festival, has died at 79.
His family said, "Perhaps one of Sidney’s strongest legacies is his advocacy for the arts in Chattanooga, specifically festivals and the dance community. In the early 1980s Sidney helped to create and served as the first president of the non-profit ‘Friends of the Festival’ which still supports the operation of the Riverbend Festival today.
"He later created a dance community at his Split Tree Farm in Kensington, Ga., where many aspiring social dancers came to learn and be a part of the community that Sid fostered. The dance
weekends that Sid hosted were a mix of contra, waltz, squares. tango, swing, and contact improv."
A native of Kensington, Mr. Hetzler graduated from Baylor School in 1958. His degrees included an English literature major B.A. Vanderbilt University in 1962, an M.S. in Public Relations in 1973 at Boston University, and a Ph.D. in interpretive theory in 1990 from Emory University.
He owned the Hetzler Brokerage Company and had over 45 years in the food brokerage business, preceded by a 15-year communications career.
He also was a writer, piano player, farmer and mountain trail rider on his Paso Fino horses. He was the author of "Two Town Festivals: Signs Of A Theater Of Power" and a CD "Live Waltzes at Split Tree Farm Studio."
Mr. Hetzler was recently preceded in death by his brother William "Bill" Robert Hetzler, Sr. He is survived by his sister Joan as well as his sister-in-law, Carol Hetzler, and his nieces and nephew, Jennifer, Rob, and Julie (Doug).
A celebration of life memorial service will be scheduled at a later date.