Henry died. We expected it, I guess. Sooner or later. We would all have preferred later, but that’s how it goes. I’m sure Henry would have preferred later too.
Henry was a brilliant man, funny and well read, opinionated and outré in that way that gay guys who are comfortable with themselves can be. He said he wants his ashes spread on his own gardens, or failing that, beneath a freshly planted Patmore Ash. Henry had a droll fondness for the Patmore Ash. I will miss him, miss the editorial cartoons he scanned and distributed to friends, miss his wide ranging observations, miss stopping in on Christmas Eve with a box of Mrs. See’s chocolates, and miss the occasional visits for tea or lunch or just to say hello. I’ll miss the plants he always sent home with Beth and which she stored in her killing fields until the weak ones perished.
Henry wrote three blogs that I know about, and two are available online. You can read them here and here.
Henry is survived by his cat Maurice T. Marmalade, some family here and there, and countless friends. There’s going to be a party to mark his passing.
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Greg Urban 05.17.07 at 6:00
I knew Henry a long time ago.
He was my high school Latin teacher, back in 1967-68.
He was the first openly gay person I had ever met. As has been noted, he was funny, opinionated, and as much as he could manage in a very white WASP small town school, risque.
With a straight face and a dry voice he would say,”Today students, we are going to have a little testie”, as his way of announcing a surprise quiz. We loved him, he was our first glimpse into a world larger than the small town we had grown up in.
My friends and I used to go over to his house after school sometimes. He would play us classical music and point out sections of interest in the pieces. It was my first introduction to classical. When I played him my favorite music of the time, Procul Harum, he wasn’t disparaging, but said that “Someday you will find that your tastes have changed “. That didn’t turn out to be true, but I appreciated an adult speaking to me without condescension. I am saddened to learn he is gone.
Lisha Terre 05.29.07 at 7:08
I have never met Henry, however I saw his obituary and he seemed like quite the impressive man, so I decided to look up his blogs, and yes indeed, he was quite impressive. I am sorry for your loss, and the loss to all people who have never had the chance to meet such a wonderful man.