EDWARD HENRY HOENICKE

Edward Henry Hoenicke, of Punta Gorda, FL and Grantham, NH, formerly of Lake Forest, IL and Bronxville, NY, died Sunday June 13, 2010 at his home in Florida at the age of 80. He was born April 12, 1930 in Chicago, IL, son of the late Edward Albert Hoenicke and Henrietta Christina (nee Hameister) Hoenicke. He and his two sisters, Henrietta (Holly) and Ellen, grew up in Riverdale and Dolton, I L and the Roseland section of Chicago. He attended Christian Fenger High School in Chicago. At the age of 16 he was accepted as a student at academically elite Deep Springs College, CA - a unique program where students work a 2,500-acre cattle ranch and attend college classes, completely tuition free. Later in life, he returned to serve as its President for two years. Ed remarked in his memoirs that Deep Springs was one of the best things that had ever happened to him. Upon completing the Deep Springs program, he became a member of Telluride Association and was graduated from Cornell University in 1950. At Cornell he met his wife of 51 years, Janice Armande (nee Gravel) Hoenicke, known as "Jonnie", in a freshman French class. Jonnie predeceased him in 2005. After Cornell, and one year as a management trainee at the General Electric Company, he enlisted in the Air Force in 1951 and was honorably discharged in 1953. In 1956, he was graduated from the University of Michigan Law School and became an associate of Cravath, Swaine & Moore in NY. He then joined Olin Corporation as an attorney and remained with Olin and its affiliate Squibb for 18 years. From 1969 to 1976, he was President of Beech-Nut International, which manufactured Life Savers candy and conducted airline catering worldwide. He lived in Bronxville, New York in the 1960s and 1970s, raising a family and serving his community and church. He was a trustee of the Lawrence Hospital, a member of the Bronxville School board, and a deacon of the Reformed Church. For many years, he was a director and officer of CARE, Inc. In 1977, he joined United Airlines, moved to Lake Forest, Illinois, and became Senior Vice President and General Counsel of UAL, Inc. He became a director of United Airlines, the Hertz Corporation, Westin Hotels and Hilton International Hotels. He retired in 1990. Upon retirement, Ed and Jonnie established residences in Punta Gorda, Florida and Grantham, New Hampshire. Ed had a life long love of theater and tennis. He also enjoyed paddle tennis, sailing and later in life learned to play, in his words, "a perfectly atrocious game of golf". Ed traveled a great deal for his career, bringing him to most of the major business capitals of the world, and Jonnie traveled with him on occasion. Upon retirement, they continued to enjoy traveling - with Cornell Alumni trips, Elder Hostels and Choir groups. They often combined their love of theater and tennis with travel, attending Wimbledon, London plays, the Australian Open, and, closer to home, Broadway and New England plays, and the U.S. Open at Forest Hills, back when they actually had some grass courts. Ed also became quite interested in family genealogy and heritage, and traveled with Jonnie to Germany and Poland to explore his family roots. Ed and Jonnie made strong friends in both Florida and New Hampshire. His close, dear friends meant a great deal to him and helped care for him during his final illness. He is survived by his daughter Jeanne Hoenicke and son-in-law, Art Bailey of Alexandria, VA; his daughter, Anne Hoenicke and son in-law, Peter Woolford of Winchester, MA; four loving granddaughters, Molly and Abigail Bailey, and Michele and Katherine Woolford; his two sisters, Henrietta (Holly) Wogan of Belmont, MA and Ellen Corbett of Villa Park, CA; and several nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held August 28, 2010, at 2 p.m., at the Kearsarge Community Presbyterian Church, New London NH. In lieu of flowers, if you are so inclined, donations may be made to CARE, Inc. or the Kearsarge Community Presbyterian Church of New London, NH.