Henry F. Heckroth

Henry Frederick Heckroth passed away on June 20, 2026 at the age of 96, after a difficult recovery following a hip fracture sustained in an accidental fall in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania.

He was born on June 7,1930 at home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Mary Gomory Heckroth and Henry Heckroth. His father passed away a few days after his birth. The home, which still stands today, was a Sears Kit house and was built by his grandfather and other family members.

Henry attended West View schools in Pittsburgh and was surrounded by many aunts, uncles, and cousins while growing up. His mother and step-father, Grant Davis, moved to the Washington, D.C. area where he completed high school at Bladensburg High School.  There he met his future wife, Joan Robinson, and they were married 70 years until she passed away in 2023.

Henry graduated from the University of Maryland in 1953 with a chemical engineering degree and was a member of the Air Force ROTC. After college, he and Joan lived on Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City, Louisiana for several years while he served in the US Air Force.

After serving in the Air Force, Henry and family settled in Wilmington, Delaware where he and Joan raised their four children. Henry worked as a chemical engineer for Armstrong Cork Company and Hercules Chemical Corp, retiring in 1991 after 31 years of service with Hercules.

During his life, Henry enjoyed golf, tennis, and pursued his lifelong love of flying. He was a member of the Salem Aero Club based out of the Wilmington Airport. He attended national conventions of the United Flying Octogenarians in later years. During his retirement years, he traveled within the U.S. and abroad with his wife, Joan.

In their elder years, Henry and Joan moved to Maris Grove Senior Living Community for the remainder of their lives. At Maris Grove, he enjoyed playing pool with friends.

He is preceded in death by his wife, Joan Elizabeth Heckroth. He is survived by his four children – Cynthia Curry, Jennifer Jones, John and Richard Heckroth, as well as by eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

His ashes will be interred at the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery at a later date by his family. 

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