E. Henry Ovadia of Woodbury passed away on June 25th. He was a long time 3M retiree. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Karen; two children: Noreen Ovadia Wills (Nick) and Cliff Ovadia; three grandchildren: Marit, Nicholas and Jackson.
Henry was born in Thessaloniki, Greece and moved to Israel at the age of 3. Growing up in Israel, he eventually became a cavalry sergeant in the Israeli Army and fought in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War (the War for Independence). In the beginning of the 1950’s, Henry came to Chicago and attended the Milwaukee School of Engineering, graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree at the head of his class. In 1954, he met Karen. They were married in 1956 in Oslo, Norway and started many years of traveling right away with a European tour.
Henry worked for 3M for 35 years which afforded him the opportunity to travel to such far flung places as Japan and India. During his children’s younger years, they were also part of Henry’s travel plans. After retirement, Henry and Karen globe-trotted frequently with some of their favorite places being in Spain, Greece, Italy, and, of course, Norway.
Henry very much loved his grandchildren and even in his final days, their pictures would bring a smile to his face.
A Memorial service will be held 11 AM Thursday July 12, 2018 at Wulff Funeral Home, 2195 Woodlane Drive, Woodbury with visitation beginning at 10 AM.
A light lunch will follow at St. Therese of Woodbury., Redwoods building.
