HENRY SIWEK's Obituary
Henry Siwek, age 74, passed away peacefully on Thursday, November 26, 2020, in Houston, Texas.
He was born on July 16, 1946 to Adek (Eddie) Siwek and Mala (Tenenberg) Siwek in Furth, Germany. Adek and Mala were both holocaust survivors originally from Poland.
In 1949, at the age of 3, Henry and his parents moved to Israel where they lived until 1953 and again moved back to Germany in hopes of eventually moving to the United States. Henry told of the many obstacles they met along the way, both scary and exciting for a young child. It was both challenging and traumatic to live in four different countries, learn many different languages and customs. In 1955, the family grew when Henry’s sister Regina was born. One year later the family made the big move to the US and settled in New York City, a city he loved.
At an early age, Henry showed a tremendous artistic talent and won many awards for his artwork. He attended The High School of Art and Design and The Cooper Union in New York City, where he received a Bachelor Degree in Fine Arts. This was followed by a career as a graphic
artist. Henry’s independent spirit led him to open his own studio, Beehive Designs.
In 1983, Henry married Carol Rosenberg Siwek. They loved to travel with special memories of their trips to Greece and Israel.
In 1987, Henry and Carol were blessed with the birth of their son Jordan. Nothing in Henry’s life brought him more joy than his relationship with Jordan. They were both Father and Son and lifelong best buddies.
Henry and Jordan had many adventures together such as when Jordan was in Les Miserables on Broadway in 1997. Henry was a great “stage dad” and was with Jordan every step of the way, always bringing out the best in him. Henry also loved the experience of being at NBC Studios when Jordan was on Saturday Night Live in the late nineties. They also got to travel to Paris and London together on a school trip, which was an amazing experience. Henry always encouraged Jordan to be creative, and his love for Brazilian Jazz inspired his son to learn all of his favorite melodies and start going down a musical path that would go on to define Jordan’s life.
In 2008, Henry moved down to the Lone Star State where and lived with his sister Regina and brother in law Jerry where he was able to help out their elderly Dad who lived nearby. While living in Houston he worked at the Houston Zoo. Being a talented photographer, Henry spent all of his free time taking photographs of the animals, especially the giraffes for which he had a special love. Henry also enjoyed working with young students as an elementary school math tutor for the Houston School System.
His warm and friendly personality was enjoyed by anyone who knew him and upon retirement Henry frequently walked the family dog Tex where neighbors got to enjoy chatting with him. There was a very special connection between Henry and Tex.
During this trying time for our country, there will be a virtual funeral service held on Tuesday, December 1st, at 2:30pm EST. Family and friends whose lives Henry touched are invited to attend. Check your email for an invitation to connect on Zoom
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