Hendryk S. Weeks ’39

Hank — one of the five who came back for our 75th reunion in 2014 — died Jan. 12, 2016, in Montclair, N.J. He was 98 years old.

Hank had a 50-year career in international trade and transportation, including 20 years with classmate Cliff O’Hara at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. At the outbreak of World War II, Hank was working for the Grace Line in Valparaiso, Chile. He stayed on there for the duration of the war as a member of the War Shipping Administration. In Chile, Hank met his first wife, Nanette, who was from England.

After returning to New York in 1947, Hank worked in London, Peru, and Puerto Rico. He concluded his career with the Port Authority of Tampa, Fla. Throughout his life, Hank’s ability to speak Spanish led to him acting as an interpreter for a number of organizations.

In retirement — in Hendersonville, N.C., and in Montclair — Hank was an active community volunteer and leader. And, as he wrote, “Church involvement, no matter where we lived, has been beneficial and rewarding.”

Nanette died in 1980, and Hank’s second wife, Eleanor, died in 2001. He lost his son, Hendryk Jr., in 2012. Hank is survived by two children, several grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. We share in the pride of Hank’s long life with them.