Gregory
Gene Henry
A Friend of the Phonograph
In Memory of Greg Henry, August
26, 2024
By Doug Boilesen, September 15,
2024 (with excerpts from Greg's obituary, the Lincoln Journal Star,
September 15, 2024).
Greg Henry was born in Lincoln, Nebraska
on September 4, 1950 to Ruth Eileen Henry (née Lane) and Herbert Gene
Henry.
The first of four siblings, Greg's early
years were marked by a deep commitment to his community. He earned
his Eagle Scout badge, was actively involved in the Youth Fellowship
at St. Paul United Methodist Church and sang tenor in the prestigious
Lincoln Boys Choir.
Greg was my childhood friend from the
time of my second birthday party in 1952 until 2024. We both attended
Southeast High School and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where
he earned a B.S. with distinction in Mathematics and Physics and was
a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Triangle Fraternity. Greg then went
to the University of Chicago to earn a PhD in Physics. He went from
there to work at Fermilab, America's renowned particle physics laboratory.
Greg's next and final move in 1979 took him to Arlington, Viriginia
to be an Operations Research Analyst at the U.S. Office of Management
and Budget in Washington, D.C. until his retirement in 2011.
Greg enjoyed all types of music. He
played trombone with marching bands at Southeast and Lincoln East
high schools. He created a light show during his college days with
our friend Larry Stepp and they toured Nebraska and regionally as
part of the Who's rock opera Tommy. He took organ lessons as
one of his later life hobbies.
Distance kept him from attending "Phonograph
Birthday" parties but he did contribute to Friends of
the Phonograph lists such as "Favorite Record Album Cover,"
"Top 10 Movies," and "PhonoMovies." For the Favorite
Movies list, a.k.a. "Top Ten Movies," Greg limited
himself to 25; he said he couldn't rank them so his movie
selections are listed as "UR" (Unranked); He also submitted
movies titles to go into the "Phonographs in the Movies"
gallery.
Greg never documented an early phonograph
connected memory for FOTP's "Memories of the Phonograph"
gallery, but he grew up with a phonograph in the home and a record
player in his room. I remember Greg playing an LP of The Band's first
album which at the time, circa 1970, he said he really liked.
A recent phone call was a reminder that
Greg considered his home entertainment system important for music
and he mentioned that he had been thinking about getting new speakers.
But since he determined that one of his current speakers only needed
a new driver he said he was going to have that driver replaced. The
explanation for repairing and not upgrading to new speakers then morphed
into a science seminar related to recorded sound, the bit rate of
digital recordings and the specifications of his own system. Greg's
conclusion: Fixing his speakers
would still meet the specs that he needed to enjoy digital recordings
-- QED. It was a typical phone conversation with Greg which often
included fact-checking and back of the napkin calculations.
Physics and thinking about current affairs,
the environment, political matters, pro-democracy causes, books, periodicals
and writing are where Greg spent most of his time. He watched and
recorded many programs and news broadcasts which always included the
local news. In his retirement Greg had hoped to develop and promote
some forums where ordinary citizens would be invited to come and discuss
various topics, hear experts, ask questions, review and even recommend
policy proposals. Greg's vision
for those public forums unfortunately never materialized.
I wish Greg was still here to write
his own Memory of the Phonograph page. Instead, his entry into
the "In
Memory of Friends of the Phonograph" means that he's
no longer available to take my call.
I will remember Greg for many things,
but especially for being a life-long friend, a man of integrity and
a thinker.
The following photos include a few shared
moments and memories.
Greg on the far left for
my second birthday party with me between the two girls (Marsha on
my left, Bonnie to my right) on the front steps of our apartment at
1301 "H" Street, Lincoln, NE , May 1952.
Mothers with their children
(Greg with Ruth Henry on far left) May 1952.
Greg and I first spent time together
on Sunday mornings in St. Paul Methodist's nursery when we were infants
and pre-schoolers. That relationship would continue through Sunday
School and Methodist Youth Fellowship. In that context two other friends,
Mary McKelvey Fagler and Lyle Hiatt, were also part of Greg's growing
up years.
Halloween Party at 1301
"H" Street, (Greg front row far right. Doug is in back row
far left, Mary Francis BR third from left. and Lyle is FR 2nd from
left, 1953).
Larry Stepp on far left (during college,
he was Greg's light show collaborator), Greg 2nd from left, Doug 2nd
from right at Doug's Birthday, 1961.
"The Band" (The
Brown Album) 1969 - it's an album I can picture Greg playing.
Santanya's "Abraxis",
Greg's favorite album cover.
Lincoln East High School
Graduation Picture, Class of 1968
College Graduation Celebration party
with Greg, Mary, Lyle and Doug, 1972 - See Halloween
party 1953 for this same four-some.
Doug and Sharon visited
Washington, D.C. and Greg in Arlington, VA in 1989.
On my first visit to Greg's
in the early 1980's after he moved to Arlington I asked him where
he kept his toaster since I didn't see one in the kitchen. Greg responded
that he didn't have a toaster. As a "toast" person I was
a bit surprised and offered to buy one. He declined by saying he didn't
want one and would never get one. This would become a running joke
on our phone calls as I'd ask if had found a place yet for a toaster.
"No," or a somewhat exasperated "what is it with you
and toast?" were typical responses. On another visit some years
later Greg served Cinnabons for breakfast which were delicious. After
eating a Cinnabon my "where do you keep your toaster" question
logically could have stopped since Cinnabons were a nice alternative
to my daily toast. But my ribbing continued over the next thirty-five
years, and I'll miss not asking Greg where he keeps his toaster.
Doug and Sharon's visit to Greg's new
Arlington home in 2000 with custom bookcases throughout his living
room for his many books.
Greg in 2017 (sixty-five
years later) on the steps of 1301 "H" Street, Lincoln,
NE which became Billy's Restaurant & Bar in 1986. My parents,
Axel and Betty Boilesen, and I lived in one of two apartments on the
first floor until 1955. 1301 "H" Street is historically
known as the Noble-Dawes home. Built as a duplex in 1885 for Henry
E. Noble, the house was sold in 1891 to Charles G. Dawes and his wife.
Dawes was the 30th vice president of the United States from 1925 to
1929 under Calvin Coolidge. Parenthetically, Greg and I talked a lot
about politics.
Greg, as pictured in
his obituary notice, August 26, 2024, or
"Gregory" as I'd greet him after he
answered the phone, which was then followed by Greg recognizing
me with a ritualistic pause and a distinct "Douglas."
Our calls were never short and sometimes
ended abruptly because it was time for the news (Eastern Time, Greg's
rule). But long or short, the calls often ended with a "That
is all!" -- which is now too true.
That is all!
AVE ATQUE VALE
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