Obituary of Federick Hennick

SOUTHBURY- Mr. Frederick E. Hennick, 83, of 2 B Heritage Crest, Southbury, retired owner and publisher of the former Naugatuck Daily News, passed away Saturday July 31, 2010 at the Waterbury Hospital. He was the husband of the late Janet (Meyers) Hennick, who passed away in 2005 after 53 years of marriage. Mr. Hennick was born in Waterbury Jan. 30, 1927, a son of the late Rudolph and Ethel (Reich) Hennick and moved to Naugatuck in 1955. He had been a Southbury resident since 2007. He was educated in the public school system and was a graduate of Crosby High School. He was a WW II U.S. Navy veteran and a graduate of Syracuse University, Class of 1949. Following his graduation, he worked for Newspapers in Milford, Mass. and New York, before returning to the Naugatuck Daily News in 1950. He became publisher of The News in 1964 following his father's retirement. That same year The News moved from its Church St. location to the Naugatuck Railroad Station which was purchased by the Hennick family. Active in the Naugatuck community, he was a member of the Charter Revision Commission and was a former member of the Naugatuck Chamber of Commerce, serving as President from 1971 to 1972. In 1987 he received the Chambers Lewis A. Dibble Award. He was a former member of the Waterbury Hospital Board of Directors, serving as President in 1979. He was also a former member of the Naugatuck Economic Development Commission and the Naugatuck Valley Cable Advisory Board. He was also a former member of the Board of Directors for the Naugatuck Chapter of the American Red Cross, the United Cerebral Palsy and the Arthritis Foundations, and the Conn. Water Co. In 1999 he retired as a Board member of the Naugatuck Valley Savings and Loan after serving more than 27 ½ years. He was a former President of the Conn. Daily Newspaper Assoc. from 1977 to 1979 and a former member of the Conn. United Press International. In 1989 he was appointed to serve on the Conn. Freedom of Information Commission and served as Chairman from 1995 to 2000. In 1985 he was the recipient of the 37th Annual, Naugatuck Exchange Club Gold Medal of Honor and in 2001 he was awarded the Conn. Freedom of Information Commission Bice Clemow FOI Award. He was an active member of Beth El Synagogue of Southbury. He leaves a son, Thomas A. Hennick and his wife Nancy of Durham; two daughters, A. Rachel Perrella and her husband Tom of Swampscott, Mass. and Ellen Toubman and her husband Steven of Medfield, Mass.; a sister-in-law Marjorie Ross and her husband David of Waterbury; and 7 grandchildren, Meghan Hennick, Jamie Hennick, Holly Hennick, Zachary Perrella, Alexander Perrella, Daniel Toubman, and Sarah Toubman. Frederick was predeceased by his sister, Corrine (Hennick) Joseph. Funeral Services will be held on Tuesday Aug. 3, 2010 at 12 noon at Beth Synagogue, 444 Main St. North, Southbury. Burial will be in Star Benevolent Cemetery, Waterbury. Shiva will be observed at the Hennick residence 2 B Heritage Crest, Southbury on Tuesday and Wednesday at 7 pm. The Alderson Funeral Home of Naugatuck, 201 Meadow St. is in charge of arrangements. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Janet M and Frederick E. Hennick Fund at the Conn. Community Foundation, 43 Field St., Waterbury, 06702 or The Waterbury Hospital Foundation, 64 Robbins St. Waterbury, 06708