Henry Barbanel

Henry Barbanel, 90, of Boca Raton, Florida and Swampscott, Massachusetts passed away peacefully on March 29, 2018. Henry began his life in Miryanki, a small village in western Poland. As a young boy Henry was confronted with overt anti-Semitism as a fact of life. Those confrontations taught him resilience and instilled a deep will to survive. And survive he did.

During the Holocaust, Henry, along with his parents and eight brothers and sisters chose to resist the Nazi’s by taking to the forests surrounding Wlodowa. He and his brothers formed a resistance group with other local Jews to fight the Nazis. Henry witnessed the death of his entire family, with the exception of one brother, at the hands of the Nazi’s and collaborating Poles. After the war Henry made his way to a relocation camp in Germany. From there it was a tramp freighter to the United States with barely a penny in his pocket.

Henry began his career as a factory worker at Stahl Finish in Peabody, MA. His responsibilities grew from a laborer to a manufacturing manager, and then to a sales manager. In the early 70’s, Henry started his own business, Sanncor Industries, which became a leading manufacturer of water-based urethanes. Henry successfully grew the company and eventually sold it to BF Goodrich. Henry spent his retirement years playing the golf courses in Boca Raton.

Henry’s experiences taught him the importance of standing up for what you believe in and never remaining silent in the face of bullying, racism or any attack on another person’s human rights. Henry professed that history has shown us that when good people fail to take a stand, terrible atrocities happen.

Henry is survived by his beloved wife, Frances Barbanel. He is survived by his children with his first wife, the late Gloria Barbanel: Steven Barbanel and daughter-in-law Sharon Sarno-Barbanel, Alan Barbanel and daughter-in-law Deb Barbanel, Roberta Barbanel and son-in-law Jack Johnston, and Scott Barbanel and daughter-in-law Susan Papetti Barbanel. He also is survived by his grandchildren, Ariana Turner and husband Jeremy Turner, Andrew Lichtenstein, Joseph Barbanel, Tristan Barbanel, Alexei Barbanel and Angelina Barbanel, and great grandchildren Liam Turner, Grant Turner and Henry Turner. Henry embraced and immensely enjoyed a wonderful blended family with Frances and is also survived by his step daughters, Beth Lew and son-in law Dr. Marvin Lew, Dr. Robin Rubenstein and son-in-law Dr. Michael Rubenstein, Gwenne Foreman and son-in-law Craig Foreman and Lynne Kolowski and son-in-law Michael Koloski. He is also survived by grandchildren Nathan Lew, Brooke Barron and husband Adam Barron, Brian Rubenstein and wife, Rachel Rubenstein, Jessica Hoffman and husband Garrett Hoffman, Stephanie Fluger and husband Lance Fluger, Mark Foreman, Carlyn Foreman, Scott Rubenstein, Devin Koloski and Cameron Koloski and great grandchild Neil Fluger.

A funeral service for Henry Barbanel will be held on Monday, April 2, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at Stanetsky-Hymanson Memorial Chapel, 10 Vinnin Street, Salem, MA, followed by interment at Maple Hill Cemetery, Sabino Farm Road, Peabody, MA.

Shiva will be observed on Monday, April 2 through Wednesday, April 4 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Crowne Point Clubhouse, 400 Paradise Road, Swampscott, MA.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place S.W., Washington D.C. 20024-2126 or via https://www.ushmm.org.

For more information or to register in the online guestbook, please visit www.stanetskyhymansonsalem.com.