Henry Wachs

1916 - 2018

A remarkable life of 102 years ended peacefully for Henry Wachs at the Redwoods in Mill Valley on December 21st, surrounded by family and friends. Born on July 17, 1916 in Mrotchen, in what is now Poland, Dad's family moved to Berlin in 1918. With Hitler's rise to power, increasingly repressive anti-semitic laws narrowed Dad's educational and employment opportunities. With a university education no longer an option, he apprenticed in a design/ printing house in Berlin, from age 18 to 22. A distant relative in the U.S. agreed to sponsor Dad and he made his way to Liverpool and boarded the RMS Laconia on November 4, 1938. He was mid-Atlantic on the night of Kristallnacht. From New York he took a Greyhound Bus to Oakland where, determined to bring his parents to safety, he quickly found work. Tragically, after fleeing to Belgium, both parents were captured by the Nazis and deported to Auschwitz, where they perished. With determination, Dad continued to build a new life, establishing himself in the graphic arts community as a highly respected designer and art director. In 1946, at a talk by Frank Lloyd Wright at the California Labor School, Dad was introduced to Gloria Rosenthal. They married in 1947 and built a home in Mill Valley in 1950 where he and Mom raised a family of four children. Throughout his five decade career, Dad was known for his exacting and creative eye. He designed logos and award-winning publications and in the late 1970's was asked to create a new graphic identity for the University of California at San Francisco. One of his proudest achievements was the UCSF logo, which continues in use to this day. Dad's delight in the world around him found expression in his love of species fuchsias, azaleas and rhododendrons. His beloved home garden and years of volunteering at the Strybing Arboretum brought tremendous satisfaction. He found beauty and solace in the mountains and especially the walk to O'Rourke's Bench on Mt. Tam. Dad is survived by three children: Deborah, Tom, and Rick; six grandchildren: Julia, Matthew, Rebecca, Madeline, Benjamin and Sofia; five great-grandchildren: Shimon, Abigail, Ainsley, Annabelle and Aniela, and predeceased by his daughter, Nina. Donations in memory of Henry Wachs may be made to the The San Francisco Botanical Garden at Strybing Arboretum or the Herta and Isidor Memorial Loan Fund of The Hebrew Free Loan of San Francisco.