Oscar Antonio Henriquez

When Oscar Antonio Henriquez (more known by the community and friends as "El Viejo Oscar) …walked into the room, those in his company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Oscar was and how he impacted those around him. Oscar was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Oscar wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Oscar was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve him well throughout his life.

He was the son of Carlos Henriquez and Rosa Alarcon. Oscar was raised in Santiago, Chile. Always at the ready with a good joke, he grew up to be quite a humorous person full of wit and charm. While some who knew Oscar might describe him as an idealist, his friends and family understood well that Oscar was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to him.

Oscar was raised with 3 brothers. Pedro, Rafael, and Raul Henriquez. Oscar was very accepting and supportive of his family. He was perceived as the central person in his family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Oscar was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Oscar well in his adult life and, along with his wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew him.

With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought him an endless stream of friends, Oscar was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Oscar was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. He always seemed aware of what was going on with people around him and throughout his life he made many, many friends. Pedro, Cacho, Juan Carlos, Mario just to name a few.

Oscar and his only son, Seann met later on in life and never wasted a single second creating a bond that would be unbroken and full of love for each other.

Oscar was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made him an exceptional worker/ entrepreneur .Working as a PAINTER under his company name (OSCARSON PAINTERS) for 25 YEARS. Oscar was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize him. Oscar had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem he faced, possibly because of his gift for insight. Oscar's fellow workers saw him as a supporter and a mentor.

Because Oscar loved to have a broad variety of activities in his life, he took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies, passions. SOCCER, DANCING, and SOCIALIZING were among his favorites along with watching Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. Oscar had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of his favorite pastimes. However, Oscar's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

Oscar derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. His charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. SOCCER. SOCCER. Oscar was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. SOCCER, TENNIS, BOXING.

Its roots and his passion for soccer led him to share with people from different cultures in which he was

always well loved, he was part of the soccer team "Condo/' which always recalled fondly .

ln the 90s is integrated as an active member of the Chilean Cultural and Sporting Association which

came to form part of the board of directors of the association and part of the aid team of soccer .

Throughout his life, Oscar was actively involved in professional and community organizations. He was compassionate, accommodating and quick to move into action. Always able to build a consensus, Oscar seemed to be the person smack dab in the middle of things, working to get things done. Those who had the opportunity to work with Oscar usually agreed that when you were involved in an organization with him, it was as entertaining as anything you could imagine. He truly was an Original!

Because Oscar was constantly in the center of things and where the action was, he always seemed willing to join in and help, regularly getting involved in community activities. Oscar's gift of planning and improvisation, along with a talent for rallying support, made him a great asset. Oscar found new ways of getting things done in order to help make just about every activity more efficient and enjoyable. Oscar was an active member of several community groups, serving on committees for the Chilean Cultural and Sporting association.

Though he never did anything solely for individual recognition, Oscar's ingenuity, resourcefulness, and selflessness, earned him accolades for his many lifelong efforts. Some of his most prestigious awards included various medals and trophies for his Soccer contributions.

Oscar's love of improvising in his daily life was a perfect fit for his enjoyment of traveling. Traveling in a casual manor fit his personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer. During Oscar’s life he had travelled to Europe, Mexico and back to his home Country, Chile.

Oscar was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. Huacho, Budgie Bird, was a best friend for 11 years.

He adapted and, like everything in his life, made it satisfying. Because he was such a flexible person and able to adjust to any situation, retirement was just another enjoyable change of pace for Oscar to master. In retirement, he found new pleasure in continuing his friendships and relationships with his community. Even in retirement, Oscar continued to stay in touch with his old friends and like always, made plenty of new ones.

Oscar Henriquez passed away very much at peace on February 4, 2014 at VGH in Vancouver, British Columbia. Oscar bravely battled C. O. P. D. Services were held at Glenhaven Memorial. Oscar would laid to rest in Chile.

There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Oscar. He was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. He had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While he was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Oscar Henriquez for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Oscar was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with his loved ones.

The life that Oscar lived in the first half in Chile and the second half in Canada made for a very rich and fulfilling life story.

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Oscar Antonio Henriquez, passed away February 4, 2014 at the age of 75 years. Memorial service for family and friends will be held at Glenhaven Memorial Chapel, 1835 East Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC on Saturday, February 8, 2014 at 1:00 pm. Cremation at Vancouver Crematorium, 5505 Fraser Street, Vancouver, BC. Arrangements entrusted to Glenhaven Memorial Chapel, Vancouver, BC. 604.255.5444. Corey Dixon, Funeral Director.