Henry Martin Pollak

Henry Martin Pollak, 84, of Lower Pottsgrove Township, Pa., passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family on Sunday morning, April 17, 2016. He was the husband of Frances (Fine) Pollak with whom he shared 53 years of marriage.
Born in New York City, Henry grew up in Royersford and Linfield. He attended high school at Pottstown High School and The Hill School where he received a scholarship for his last two years. He attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY on a U.S. Navy Holloway plan scholarship. He graduated in 1954 as bachelor of mechanical engineering. In 1961 he was graduated from Lehigh University as master of science in mechanical engineering. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1954-57 with duty as chief engineer aboard the U.S.S. Mitscher DL2 and U.S.S. Daly DD519. After the Navy, he worked as a pump designer for Ingersoll Rand Corp. in Phillipsburg, N.J. and New York City from 1957-62. He left Ingersoll Rand to become chief engineer at American Machine & Tool Co., Inc. – a pump manufacturing company in Royersford, Pa., where he designed centrifugal pump lines and was awarded numerous patents. He later became president, CEO and part owner of the company. He retired in 2002 as president of American Machine & Tool Co., Inc.
Henry was actively involved in various community organizations:
President of Creative Health
President of Brookside Country Club
President of Chesed shel Emet Synagogue
Chairman of the Board of Pottstown Healthcare Corporation and Pottstown Memorial Medical Center
President of Pottstown Jewish Federation
Boards of Directors:
Harleysville National Bank
Security National Bank
American Machine & Tool Co., Inc. after the acquisition by Gorman Rupp Pump Company
He is survived by his wife, the former Frances Fine of Sydney, Nova Scotia; his son Andrew Pollak, MD of Owings Mills, MD; his daughter Lora Placik, wife of Otto Placik, Md. of Northbrook, Ill, and his six grandchildren Abby Placik, Madeline Placik, Taya Placik, Rachael Pollak, Lilly Pollak and Max Pollak, who know him as their Zayde.
Funeral services will be held 2 p.m. on Tuesday, April 19, 2016 at the Houck & Gofus Funeral Home, Inc., 955 N. Charlotte St., Pottstown, PA. Interment will be in Congregation Mercy & Truth Cemetery, Pottstown, Pa. Rabbi Mitchell Wohlberg will officiate. Friends may call from 12-2 p.m. on Tuesday at the funeral home. The family requests no flowers. Memorial contributions may be made to Visiting Nurse Association (Hospice) 1963 E. High Street, #200, Pottstown, PA 19464, or Israeli Cancer Research Fund, 295 Madison Avenue, Suite 1030, New York, NY 10017-7754.