Henry Vincent Pianka died unexpectedly August 10, 2004, as a result of a stroke suffered at home. He was 82 years of age when he died having been born April 23, 1922 on River Road in Old Mystic, CT. He attended Old Mystic Elementary School, followed by Stonington High School.
Henry hunted and trapped as a young man; worked as a laborer on various local farms, and then at the Ashaway Woolen Mill. He worked at Electric Boat, and remembered standing on the Black Fish submarine when they heard the news of Pearl Harbor.
Henry went into the Maritime Service, Merchant Marine, at Fort Trumbull in New London. He met his wife Margaret when they were both on their way to a dance at Pulaski Hall in Norwich. They were married shortly thereafter, and had 51 years together before her death in 1998.
Henry and his family lived in Old Mystic, where he continued to work at EB, raising mink, hunting and trapping on the side. He worked construction for awhile and returned to EB as a chipper/grinder, and moved into inspection, where he remained until his retirement.
Henry built several homes, finally settling in North Stonington in 1965, where he and his family had a farm stand and greenhouses, selling from the earliest strawverrise of the season through the latest apples. Henry loved to go hunting and fishing, and kept up with the fishing until the year before his death.
He is survived by his son, David Pianka, daughter-in-law Susan Pianka, grandchildren Charles Pianka and Jennifer Pianka, all of North Stonington, CT; his daughter Dorothy Achin and her husband Robert Achin, also of North Stonington; and his daughter Cynthia Johnson and her husband John Johnson and granddaughter Kaitlin Samiagio all of Westerly, RI; his sister Josephine Mathewson and his brother Stanley Pianka of Old Mystic. He was predeceased by his brother Dominic Pianka of Mystic.
Henry's family will greet relatives and friends on Thursday from 5 to 8pm at the Dinoto Funeral Home, 17 Pearl Street, historic downtown Mystic. His funeral will begin on Friday at 10:15am from the funeral home to a Funeral Mass at 11am at St. Thomas More Church, North Stonington. Burial will be in Elm Grove Cemetery, Mystic.