Henry Krisch

Henry Krisch, 93, beloved husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and friend passed away on May 23rd. Henry was born in Berlin, Germany, on October 31, 1931, to the late Alfred and Siddy Krisch. Henry shared 52 joyous years with his late wife, June Salamy Krisch. Henry is survived by his children, Jennifer Krisch and Daniel Krisch, and his five cherished grandchildren: Dylan, Mary, Felix, Evelyn, and Estelle.

Henry graduated from The Bronx (NY) High School of Science, received a B.A. from City College of New York, and an M.A. and Ph.D from Columbia University. After several years lecturing at Columbia, Henry spent more than three decades as a professor of political science at The University of Connecticut where he molded hundreds of young minds. Henry was critical to the founding of Uconn’s Dodd Center for Human Rights and he served on its Board for several years. Henry was the author of three books – German Politics Under Soviet Occupation; The German Democratic Republic: The Search for Identity; and Politics In Germany (co-authored with M. Donald Hancock) – and numerous scholarly articles. After Henry retired, he served on Mansfield’s Charter Revision Commission, participated in town politics, and was active in the international human rights community.

Henry was a man of strong principles and insatiable curiosity. These traits shone through in his professional life, civic involvement, and work for the cause of human rights. Henry read voraciously, traveled frequently, and was devoted to his family and friends. He is loved and will be missed.

Henry’s family will receive relatives and friends on Wednesday May 28th from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Potter Funeral Home, 456 Jackson St. (Rte. 195), Willimantic, CT. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA) www.anera.org , or the Windham Area Women & Girls Fund www.cfect.org . To leave on-line condolences for the family, please visit www.potterfh.com .