Horace Joachim Enger

ENGER
Horace Joachim. Born in Breslau, Germany, Horace Joachim Enger had a difficult start, losing his mother at age 6, and living through the Depression. As a boy he enjoyed rowing, swimming, skiing, and bicycling. Horace survived being conscripted during WWII as a Mischling in a labor camp on the eastern front. As the war was ending, he escaped to Vienna, and then sought refuge with a family in Bavaria as a farm hand. He moved to Augsburg, and worked for the American Military Government Information Control Div., which licensed publications and theatrical productions. He also trained as a commercial artist, designed sets and had his own art studio. With the support of the Church World Service, he and his first wife Ursula immigrated in 1947 as Displaced Persons. Joan Isola was born shortly after their arrival. The marriage ended in 1950 with Horace having full parental responsibilities. In 1952 he met Elaine Saunders, of Upper Darby, PA, who was a kindergarten teacher in Lindenhurst, Long Island. They married in 1953 and lived in Jackson Heights and started their family. During that time Horace attended NYU School of Commerce Accounts and Finance where he was Editor and Chief of The Night Owl Reporter. At NYU he was a member of Alpha Kappa Psi, Society for the Advancement of Management, the Evening Student Council, Alpha Phi Sigma, Arch and Square, and was placed in the NYU Student Hall of Fame. He followed this with graduate work towards a Masters in Business at Pace University. They moved to Tenafly, NJ, in 1963 to accommodate their growing family and provide good schools. He worked as Quality Control Manager of furniture at Bloomingdales, NY, Quality Assurance with Brickel Associates, NY, and contributed to "The Wood Chair in America". He also taught at the Jiranek School of Furniture Design. He started Elaine Studios, a silk screen printing business specializing in window displays that helped support their growing family. In 1979, he purchased his first row houses in Hoboken with the idea of planning for retirement. Horace's interests included photography, sailing, skiing, and reading, particularly about European history, and enjoyed passing those interests on to his children. He enjoyed music, theater, opera and listening to his children and grandchildren play their instruments. He was an avid supporter of Public Radio and Television, and considered the BBC his lifeline in Germany, because their forbidden broadcasts got through. He worked too hard for too long, while always being devoted to his family. Horace had a very dry sense of humor, which we all adored; misunderstood by some, yet always present, to his last days. He was generous, and always had a soft spot for immigrants and their families. Anyone who interacted with him would remember his kind heart and warm smile. Horace passed away peacefully on October 4, 2013, surrounded by his loving wife, children and caregivers. He was born on July 6, 1921 to the late Charlotte Poppelauer and Kurt Enger. He is survived by his dearly beloved wife, Elaine, five children Joan Isola Metz and her husband Reinhard, Carolyn Enger and her husband Marc Mishaan, Christine McNamara and her husband Ed, Kyle Enger and his wife Joan, and Kurt Enger. He was very fond of his grandchildren Terrence and his wife Erin Metz, Ashley Metz, Kyra and Kinsey McNamara, Andrew, Grace and Kate Enger and two great-grandchildren Oliver and Sebastian Metz. He is also survived by his brother Helmut and his wife Liesel, nephews Ralph and his wife Anne Marie Enger, Thomas Enger, nieces Susanne and Christine Enger, all in Germany. He was predeceased by his brother Dieter. Memorial visitation will be held at Barrett Funeral Home, 148 Dean Dr., Tenafly, NJ on Tuesday, October 8, from 4-7 PM. The funeral service will be held on Wednesday, October 9 at 10 AM, at the United Methodist Church, 34 W. Clinton Ave., Tenafly, NJ. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Church World Service, 475 Riverside Dr., #700, NY, NY 10115. Published in The Record/Herald News on 10/9/2013.