Henry David Sacks

Local Washingtonian, Henry Sacks, 91, died at home in his beloved P.G. County on September 11th. A man who truly never met a stranger, “Shipwreck Henry” was equally comfortable with people at a black-tie gala or on the backstretch at Rosecroft Raceway. He was a people person through and through. A graduate of Eastern High School, Henry served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. After his Honorable Discharge, he signed on with a company that installed natural gas in homes and businesses across the country. For the next 20 years, Henry and his fellow crew members worked in all 50 states. While working in New Jersey at the tail end of the gas job, one of his pals coaxed Henry into meeting “The prettiest girl he’d ever seen”. That girl was Sonya Puzio and, shortly thereafter, became Mrs. Henry Sacks. They both had a deep desire to start a family and they eventually settled in a brand new $32,000 house in Camp Springs. After Joey, Davey, and Tammy came along, the family created wonderful memories and shared special experiences at Camp Springs Elementary, St. Phillip’s, Camp Springs Boys and Girls Club, Bishop McNamara, La Reine, St. Stephen’s, and the University of Maryland…and on and on it goes. Henry loved every single minute of being a Dad…and he was plenty good at it. He was “Old School” before Old School was even a thing. He often referred to himself as “The World’s Most Successful Failure” because of some failed business ventures and the lack of a fat bank account. But the truth is, he was a success in every sense of the word. His jobs included: Paper Boy, Shoe Shiner, Pool Room Cook, Bookmaker, New Car Salesman, Used Car Wholesaler, Partial Owner of Flim Flam the Ice Cream Man Truck, Co-Owner of Shipwreck Henry’s Restaurant in Washington, DC, Campaign Manager in Florida, Real Estate Broker, and probably a few others. He had his own proprietary world-famous crab seasoning that he used at his crab feasts for friends and family over the years. His crab feasts were legendary. Henry was a character in a world that sorely needs more of them and every single person who ever crossed his path is the better for it. Henry was preceded in death by his parents, Nathan and Esther Sacks, and his brother Jack Sacks (Pauline). He is survived by his children Joe (Theresa), Davey, and Tammy. He is also survived by his four grandchildren, Brendan, Nicole, Danielle, and Jamie, and countless other family and friends. We would like to offer a special thanks to Miguel Valderrama for going above and beyond as a caregiver over the past several weeks. Special thanks also to Bonnie, Sylvia, and Nana from Heartland Hospice. They all provided great care and compassion for Henry. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to St. Jude’s Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or online at www.stjude.org Henry always had a soft spot in his heart for kids, especially those who were less fortunate. The family wishes to invite everyone to one of Henry's favorite spots for continuing fellowship and refreshment after the services are concluded at the funeral home. Contact the funeral home for additional information.