North Stonington - Born June 30, 1905 in Irvington, N.J., to Caroline and Henry Henningsen, Pop was drafted into a new league on Aug. 19, 2005. He was predeceased by his beloved wife, Eleanor (Adams), six sisters and two brothers, as well as his son, Robert, and Robert's wife, Betsy.
He is survived by his eldest son, Donald, and Don's wife, Corinne, as well as his son George, with whom he has resided in North Stonington since 1996.
His ten grandchildren include Don and Corinne's daughters, Krista (husband Sterling), Andrea (husband Don) and Donna (husband Rich); Robert and Betsy's children Bill (wife Lisa), Scott (wife Kelly) and Lisa (husband George); George's children, Josh (wife Ritu), Kyler (wife Rose), and Luke and Caitlin.
Working their way up through the minors are Pop's farm team of seven great-grandsons and seven great-granddaughters, many of whom were able to attend his 100th birthday party this past June.
A gifted athlete during his youth in Irvington, N.J., "Red" as he was then known, earned varsity letters in four sports throughout his high school career and went on to play semi-pro football and baseball (for the Irvington Cardinals). He married his high school sweetheart, Eleanor Mae Adams, on Jan. 26, 1929.
After obtaining a certification in "Shade Tree Preservation" from Rutgers University, he began his own landscape/tree business in Glen Ridge, N.J., where he lived and raised his family until 1969. While in Glen Ridge he served as a volunteer fireman, was a captain on the Ambulance Squad and a past president of the Rotary Club.
Upon semi-retiring to his summer home in Brielle, N.J., in 1969, he became the superintendent of the park in Brielle and was instrumental in its rejuvenation and expansion. Upon retiring from that position he and Eleanor moved to Leisure Village West in Lakewood, N.J., where Pop pursued his life long passion for gardening, tending to the gardens and shrubs for his fellow members of the Pt. Pleasant "Old Guard."
He was a founding member of the New Jersey Arborists Association, a past member of the American Arborists Association, served in the New Jersey National Guard and was a member of Franklin (now Atlas Pythagoras) Lodge of the Masonic Temple for almost eighty years.
Friends and family will celebrate Pop's life listening to his favorite music, Pat Mitchell, at the Steak Loft this Wednesday, August 24th, from 7 to 10 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations should be made to the children's charity of the donor's choice. There will be no services.
To leave the family a message of condolence, please click the link below: