Obituary of Preston Oliver Henry

Preston O. Henry, born 17 September 1918, died at The Woodlands, Plainfield, on September 1st from complications from pneumonia and Alzheimer's disease. One of ten children of Elizabeth and William Henry of Plainfield, Mr. Henry was a life-long resident of the Queen City. A 1937 graduate of Plainfield High School, he was one of the first African-Americans to play on the PHS varsity basketball team. He later attended the New Brunswick College at Rutgers University. Mr. Henry began working at Rapp's Pharmacy on Park Avenue in Plainfield in 1937 and was the first African American on the floor of a retail establishment in downtown Plainfield. He remained at Rapp's until 1964. His decades-long presence at Rapp's made him a well-known and respected member of the Plainfield community. In 1965, Mr. Henry was hired as the chief pharmaceutical buyer for Supermarkets General, Piscataway, which was at that time the parent company of Pathmark Supermarkets. He remained at Supermarkets General until his retirement in 1988. During the 1960s, Mr. Henry served on the Board of Directors of Neighborhood House of Plainfield. He was instrumental in fundraising and coordinating the construction of a new facility for the organization on West 4th Street, which is still in use. Mr. Henry married Corliss Taylor of New York in 1955 and is survived by her and his sons, Bruce of Virginia and Steven of New York City. He is additionally survived by his sisters, Gloria Brown, Virginia, and Beverly Harris, New Jersey, and his two granddaughters, Sarah and Ashleigh. He is pre-deceased by his sisters Doris, Velma and Elizabeth, and brothers Earl, Alan, William and Warren. Among Mr. Henry's many interests were the history and architecture of Plainfield, and on any weekend morning he could be found at Bill's Luncheonette in downtown Plainfield reminiscing with his brothers, William and Warren, and many friends. Mr. Henry had a great love and extensive knowledge of vintage cars and antiques, fine food, wine, jazz, and sharp clothes. As a young man, he raised and showed purebred Boxers and remained a devoted dog owner his entire life. Viewings will be held on Wednesday, September 5th, 2-4 PM and 6-8 PM at Higgins Home for Funerals, 209 West 8th Street, Plainfield, with a funeral service at Higgins on Thursday, 11 AM. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: Alzheimer's Foundation of America 322 8th Avenue, 7th floor New York, NY 10001 www.alzfdn.org Or Greater Plainfield Habitat for Humanity Re: Preston Henry, in Memory 2 Randolph Road Plainfield, NJ 07060 www.gphabitat.org