Henry Stanley Bieniecki

Henry was born in Taylor Springs, Illinois, one of five children born to Stella (Walczak) and Stanley Bieniecki. When asked what experiences inspired him most in his lifetime, he listed his parents, serving in the military, his education, and his professional experience. One of his most vivid memories from childhood, was that of an adventure at about the age 14-16 years old, when he and a few friends decided to hop a train to Chicago for a short “vacation” – a concept they’d heard about but had not yet actually experienced; they got to the city and learned quickly that “vacations” required money, which they didn’t have; before heading home, they were chased by some city kids and befriended by a “hobo” who helped them stay safe.

Henry enlisted in the army in 1940, at age 17, and became the youngest Master Sargeant at the time shortly thereafter. In the army, he completed photography school. He went on to design a unique and functional stand for the trimectitron camera, which he used to take photographs from military aircraft (B24/26) to develop detailed maps of South America, Asia, and parts of North America, where existing maps at the time simply showed continental borders.

Following his military service, he achieved a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois. He worked in the rail industry for General Steel, and in the aviation industry for McDonnel Douglass and Boeing.

He credited his remarkable longevity to his curiosity, determination, discipline, focus, problem-solving, creativity, generosity, grace, and perhaps most importantly, his sense of humor. While he was quite disciplined with his mostly plant-based diet, he did have quite a sweet tooth. He once said his favorite holiday was Christmas due to the “proximity of sweets”.

Henry was blessed with two great loves. He was first married to Mary Kay Lavelle for a number of years before she passed away in the early 2000s; they enjoyed time with family – their many nieces and nephews in particular, as well as extensive travel and time outdoors; they had relocated from Granite City, Illinois to Tucson, Arizona. In 2008 he met and married Emma Mengel Barnsley; they were introduced by his old army buddy, Joe Mengel, who happened to be Emma’s favorite cousin. In 2020, Henry and Emma, along with SuzyQ their lively and loyal dog, relocated from Tucson to Lafayette, Colorado, where they could be close to Emma’s children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Emma passed away in December of 2020. In Henry’s final months, he was lovingly cared for while living at the Peaks at Old Laramie Trail in Lafayette.

In lieu of a service, please consider giving to your charity of choice in Henry’s name to continue his spirit of generosity.