Henry C. Einig, age 98 of Wayne, died peacefully on Thursday, April 5, 2018.  A U.S. Army veteran of World War II, Henry earned the Silver Star for gallantry in combat at the battle of Okinawa, as well as a Purple Heart.  He had lived in Wayne since the 1940’s.

Henry was born in Frankfurt, Germany in 1920, the only child to Franz Einig and Philomene (nee Ochs), and he came to America at just eight years old.  Aboard a ship called the “Berlin,” Henry and his mother sailed from Bremen to Ellis Island and they arrived safely in August of 1928, with one exception.  During the journey, Henry was playing aboard ship with other young children when they ventured into the ship’s boiler room and became trapped by an automatic door!  They were rescued after a short time, but the frightening experience remained engrained in Henry’s mind throughout his lifetime.  Henry recalled at Ellis Island, waiting for hours in a room so crowded that he was unable to move.  His father had come to America almost a year earlier and they soon reunited, settling in a Manhattan tenement house with other German immigrants.  Henry’s mother secured a job at the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan, where her work ethic and attention to detail earned her the position of “Supervisor” of the linen room.  She kept working at the Plaza well into her senior years and passed away at the age of 103!  As a young boy, Henry often went to work with her and he gallivanted around the hotel during the day.  He used to follow the maintenance workers around and soon became intrigued by all their skill and ability in the various trades.  He eventually became employed with the Enterprise Association of Steamfitters Union Local 638, Long Island City, NY where he enjoyed a very lengthy career managing large construction projects.  Several of the projects he worked on were in Puerto Rico and Henry earned his pilot’s license so he could fly there and back with his own Cessna.

Henry’s talents covered a broad range of things, and he was meticulous in all.  If you knew Henry, then you know that he was very particular about doing things; it had to be his way, or else it just wasn’t done right!  Besides being an accomplished pilot, Henry was an incredible speed skater, auto mechanic, landscaper, home repair specialist, and outdoorsman.  He continued speed skating well into his 80’s and had often skated at Ice World in Totowa, and he went up to Bear Mountain and Lake Placid to glide on the ice.  His refrigerator is vintage 1940’s and works like new – because he knew how to maintain and fix it.  The same goes for his car; a 1984 Honda Accord which he would not part with simply because he knew how to fix it.  He kept that car in tip-top condition and continued to drive it up until he was 97 years old!  He often gathered with friends for coffee at the McDonald’s on Hamburg Turnpike in Wayne, and a long string of cars followed behind him because he rarely exceeded twenty miles per hour!  Henry also used to have a lake house in Greenwood Lake, NY, where he used to vacation with a small community of other German families.  He truly enjoyed going up to Greenwood Lake, the outdoors, and the camaraderie with the other residents there.  He completely restored a 1946 Jeep CJ3, which was among his most proud achievements.

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Henry’s life took place while he served in the U.S. Army during World War II.  Due to his German ancestry, he was denied pilot training and the Army assigned him to a combat unit in the South Pacific Theatre.  Henry was involved in the Southern Philippines Campaign as well as the Ryukyus Campaign and earned the Silver Star Medal on Okinawa for his gallant actions.  Although severely wounded, he directed the evacuation of all his wounded men before he too was evacuated and treated for his own wounds.  As if his combat service wasn’t difficult enough, Henry’s ship encountered a typhoon while returning to California.  The storm was catastrophic and many men, who had survived intense combat, sadly lost their lives aboard ship.  Henry was modest and never considered himself a hero for what he did then.  He carried a very heavy burden which weighed on his heart throughout the seventy-plus years since those days.

Henry’s personal life in the years since World War II is the kind of story that movies are made of.  His first wife, Alma, left him and took their young daughter to Florida.  Henry used to write letters to his daughter, but he lost touch with her as the years past.  Henry remarried to Evelyn in 1959 and he was the most devoted and loving husband she could have ever asked for.  Henry’s heart was broken when Evelyn passed away in 2000 and he never, ever removed his wedding band. A few years later, Henry received a phone message from a woman in Florida who claimed to be his granddaughter.  Skeptical as he was, he ignored the call, not knowing if this truly was his granddaughter.  Then she wrote to him.  He eventually got up the nerve to call her, still skeptical of course, and they began corresponding.  Henry eventually warmed up to the idea of meeting her and a wonderful relationship blossomed.  In the past several years, Henry has gotten to know his granddaughter, Heather, as well as the great-granddaughter he didn’t know he had; Zoe.  Over the past few years, they have all been blessed by each other and Henry has come to love them very much.  Zoe has written him wonderful poetry, making him so incredibly proud, and he loves her dearly.  Although saddened to learn that his daughter Judith had passed away in 2004, Henry found true love and joy in being reunited with his family once again.

Henry is survived by his granddaughter; Heather Paul and her husband Josh of Wesley Chapel, Florida, by his great-granddaughter; Zoe Paul, and by his step-son; Mitchell Miller and his wife Mary of Yorktown Heights, NY.  He was predeceased by his wife Evelyn in 2000 and by his daughter Judith Shank in 2004.