Henry Chemaly
... founded Nu-Life Upholstery Shop; age 81
NO. TEWKSBURY - Henry Chemaly, age 81, a well known member of the Tewksbury
community, died Sunday morning, March 11, at Lowell General Hospital following a lengthy
illness. He was the husband of Theresa S. (Saffy) Chemaly, with whom he had celebrated a 59th
wedding anniversary this past August 28th.
Mr. Chemaly was born in Port Au Prince, Haiti, on December 30, 1925, a son of Abdullah and
Souraya (Abouzeid) Chemaly. He completed high school in Haiti, and went on to graduate from
the College of St. Martial in Haiti. He emigrated to the U.S. in 1945 and settled in Worcester.
He brought his family to North Tewksbury in 1955, where he has remained for the last five
decades.
He founded the Nu-Life Upholstery shop in Tewksbury Center in 1963, and eventually partnered
with his son, Stephen. He retired in 1985, and his son moved the company to Chelmsford where
the ‘family business’ he started continues to operate.
Mr. Chemaly was a member of the St. Robert Bellarmine parish community.
Besides his wife, he is survived by three sons and two daughters-in-law, Edward M. Chemaly of
N.Y.C., John P. Chemaly and his wife Linda (Krasnecki) of Chelmsford, and Stephen R. Chemaly
and his wife Debbie (Libby) of Chelmsford; five grandchildren, Craig Chemaly of Boston, Jeffrey
Chemaly and Jaime Chemaly both of Chelmsford, Lauren Hannaford of Somerville, and Alexa
Chemaly of Nashua, NH; two brothers and sisters-in-law, Philippe Chemaly and his wife Therese
of N.Y.C., Edouard Chemaly and his wife Norma of Nassau, Bahamas; and many nieces and
nephews.
Mr. Chemaly was also brother of the late Lourice Yaeger; and was eagerly expecting the birth of
his first great grandchildren, twin girls, within the next two weeks.
His Funeral Mass was celebrated Thursday, March 15, in St. Robert Bellarmine
Church, West Andover. Burial followed at St. Mary’s cemetery, No.
Tewksbury. Memorials to the Greater Lowell, VNA, P.O. Box 1965, Lowell, MA 01853-1965, will
be appreciated.