Obituary of Henry Sternberg
Dear Family & Friends,
Our most beloved Henry died peacefully at his home on September 23, 2020 at the age of 89 surrounded by his adoring wife Liz and children Ken, Rick and Jo -Ann and grandson Evan. He was and adoring grandfather to Amanda, Evan, Michael, Joshua, Rebecca, Alec, Jason, Ryan and father-in-law to Bill, Rhonda, Pete and Anjelica.
He will be remembered as a kind- hearted, self-effacing, morally bound soul who above all cherished his family. He had the patience of a saint—always ready to listen and who loved meaningful conversations where he supported us in our failures and relished our successes.
His journey began on January 27, 1931 when he was born in Vienna to Otto and Henrietta. They immigrated to London England and then NYC when he was 8 years old. The Sternberg’s settled on the Upper West Side where henry ultimately received a Masters in Engineering from Polytech Institute. He then served in the Korean War, avoiding being sent into combat by the skin of his teeth. In 1957 he met the love of his life and they married. Henry and Liz moved to Queens and became parents to Ken and Rick. In between diapers Henry went to law school and obtained his JD from New York Law School. Five years later Jo-Ann was born and the family moved to New Rochelle. Henry practiced patent, copyright and trademark law for many decades retiring as a partner from Darby and Darby.
Henry was a patient, kindhearted man who enjoyed music, the arts, theatre and politics. His experiences in Vienna and living thru the holocaust fostered in him a deep sense of tradition centering on his Jewish faith. He was proud of his Jewish heritage and while he was not deeply religious he found solace in love, spirituality and family.
Some of you have asked about charities to which you can make a donation in memory of our father. We greatly appreciate your kindness and generosity. Below are two charities we have selected.
1) Immigrant Defense Project — immigrantdefenseproject.org The Immigrant Defense Project works to secure fairness and justice for immigrants in the United States. As a first-generation immigrant, Henry was always passionate about immigration issues-- and he was particularly concerned about the hardships facing immigrants today.
2) There were two hospice organizations that helped our dad and our whole family negotiate Henry's last 6 months. They offered loving support during many challenging days:
Tidewell Hospice in Sarasota, Florida: https://tidewellhospice.org/home/tidewellfoundation/donate-now/
Calvary Hospice in White Plains, NY: https://fund.calvaryhospital.org/ways-to-give/memorial-and-tribute-gifts/