Henry Floyd "Cy" Backus

1922 - 2016

1922 ~ 2016
Our generous, kind, compassionate father, grandfather, and friend, "Uncle Cy" passed away peacefully at his home in Orem, Utah on October 29, 2016, of causes incident to age; he was 94. Henry was born on April 16, 1922 in Orem, to Harriet Marrott Backus and John Albert Backus, the youngest of six children. He was a descendant of Utah Pioneers. His was known as the "Greatest Generation," and Henry lived up to that standard.
Henry graduated from Pleasant Grove High School and then, at 19, volunteered for the Navy in January 1941. He was on base at Pearl Harbor for the attack on Dec. 7th, and was one of the last remaining Pearl Harbor survivors in Utah when he died. Henry spent 1942-'43 in most of the sea battles of the early War (including Midway and Guadalcanal), then was recommended for a stateside officer training program. He spent two years in successive stints in Missouri, Notre Dame, and Harvard, where he was commissioned as an officer in July 1945, only days before the War ended. Henry then served a year with the Occupation Forces. In Sept. 1946, Henry began college at the University of California, Berkeley, and graduated in July 1948. Two years later, he was called back to the Navy for the Korean War. He served in the command staff of Admiral Smith, who oversaw all naval operations for the blockade of Korea. After a year in Korea, Henry returned to San Francisco, where (in August 1951) he married his college sweetheart and love of his life, Penelope (Penny) Mihalakis, who had been waiting for him. They were married for 57 years until Penny died in 2008.
In 1952, Henry left active service with the Navy to return to civilian life, but he retained his Reserve status. He worked for 30 years in retailing positions with Montgomery Wards and Sears Roebuck. These civilian jobs would take him, Penny, and their two children all over the U.S., while Henry still continued to serve in the Naval Reserves. In 1970, he retired from the Navy after 30 years of service, during which he had earned eight combat medals. Soon thereafter, Henry and his family moved back to his family's Pioneer home in Orem, Utah. In Utah, he served as statewide President of The Retired Officers Association (1992-'94) and on the statewide Utah Military and Veterans Affairs Committee and the Utah Office of Veterans Affairs for three years (1995-'98). He received commendations from the Utah State Legislature and the U.S. Veterans Administration for his work. Throughout his life, Henry was known for his dedication and commitment to his country, job, and family, his keen wit, intelligence and sense of humor, curious nature, and his generous and giving heart. He was a member of the LDS church.
Henry was preceded in death by his parents, siblings, and wife. He is survived by his children and their families: Elaine Athene Backus, her husband, Ned Gruenhagen, and Henry's beloved granddaughter, Katherine (Katie) Penelope Gruenhagen; Steven John Backus and his partner, Debra Zemek; as well as many nieces and nephews of first, second, and third degrees.
Henry's later years were aided by a succession of live-in caregivers, and he especially loved his most recent caregiver, Cheri Best, and her family. Henry's family thanks his doctors, especially Dr. Kent Marshall, Dr. Ronald Brown, Dr. McKay Pratt, and the doctors of Timpanogos Regional Hospital, as well as nurses and caregivers of Aspen Senior Care and Encompass Home Care and Hospice for their compassionate care over the years.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, November 19, 2016 at 11:00 a.m., at the Aspen 9th LDS ward, 828 West 1600 North, Orem, Utah, with a viewing prior to services at 9:30-10:30 a.m. Interment will be at the Orem City Cemetery, next to Penny; together again, at last. A longer obituary with details on Henry's full and adventurous life can be found at www.olpinmortuary.com.