J. Henry Knoblick, Jr.

J. Henry Knoblick, Jr. of Sherwood, Maryland, passed away suddenly on August 22, 2022 at home. He is survived by his wife Edith (Margaret), his son, Joshua Henry Knoblick, of Newark, NJ, his daughter Kaitlin Susannah Knoblick of Hamburg NJ, and his sister, Carol Silcox, of Jacksonville Florida. He is also survived by Jim Stalter, (his wife's uncle,) also of Sherwood, a close circle of cousins and many friends. Henry was born on November 10, 1949 in Franklin, NJ, son of J. Henry Knoblick, Sr. and Evelyn (nee Sandland) Knoblick. The senior Knoblicks were adventurous themselves and they discovered early on that Henry had inherited their adventuresome spirit. Henry's first solo trek began at two years old, when he wandered off, ending up two miles away. His father, was working at the Picatinny Arsenal, and was joined by the entire shift as the factory closed so everyone could search for little Hank. Unaware of the danger, at two, he vividly remembered, Mrs. Search, the woman who found him and he promptly told her "pick me up!:"He had picked a petunia and arrived back to his mother unharmed garnering his first newspaper account of his journey Henry's childhood was filled with time on boats. His first boat, the SS Leaky, was given to him at 8 years old and he navigated Lake Hopatcong NJ. Henry and his family also enjoyed the Barnegat Bay and the Jersey beaches. The Knoblicks moved, driving across the county to Gardena, California when Henry was 11. There he befriended a gentleman rebuilding a WACO biplane. Henry worked by his side assisting in its restoration. After completion, Henry flew with him, out over the Pacific, up and down the California coast, practicing aerobatic tricks. Moving back east in his teenage years, Henry graduated from Parsippany High School in New Jersey in 1967. After high school, Henry moved to Siesta Key, Florida, where his parents had relocated. He attended Manatee Junior College earning his AA in Building Construction. He worked in construction and bought his first house on the Key. He later attended Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey where he received his BS in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA in Finance (Disambiguation). Henry was one of the founding members of PMI (Project Management Institute) and served as its first president. Henry joined Deloitte Haskins & Sells in 1984 and survived each merger including Touché Ross, retiring from Deloitte. FAS in 2009. During his career, Henry travelled throughout the states and internationally. Within the firm he embraced his role as Diversity Champion and mentored a generation of future directors and partners for the firm. His career took him into some of the most historic buildings of New York City, including Carnegie Hall and sadly, the World Trade Center, where he had had an office on the 101st floor, prior to the first bombing in 1993. Henry survived both harrowing events and was instrumental in the complex insurance case that followed 9/11, as an expert valuation consultant. Henry loved spending time with his children, preferably on a boat somewhere underway, moored, or on the hard. He instilled in them his sense of freedom and courage to explore the world, especially its waterways, and enjoy all it had to offer. He taught them to chart a life course, taking one waypoint at a time for on their journey. In 1999 Henry celebrated his 50th birthday with Providence, a 46' motor-sailor that he sailed from Madeira Beach, Florida to New York Harbor and its home berth at Liberty Landing where she joined Wind Dancer, his 41' ketch. Henry loved living aboard his boats and did so for over 10 years. Henry's love of cars rivelled that of his love of boats. His first car was a Jaguar MKVII that he bought for $5. He was not old enough to drive, so his mother towed it home for him and he and his father rebuilt its engine. Once, he traded a VW van for an Austin Healy, having just crossed paths with the other driver on the side of the road. In 2006 Henry met his partner in life, Edith Margaret, and moved to Sloatsburg NY, buying an old home, the Nakama Woods, just down the road from hers. Henry and Edith married on November 11, 2007 and began the adventure of their lifetimes. Often mistaken for an old married couple, before marriage, they enjoyed a courtship of long drives, surveying boats in marinas and boatyards wherever they went. Or finding off the road antique stores and thrift shops. They enjoyed the historic properties in the area and eventually made their home in the Nakama Woods. Henry was also a board member of Friends of Harmony Hall, a local historical site in the village of Sloatsburg. After retiring, Henry enjoyed cohorting with the elite DDD. He and Edith opened Blue Barn Antiques in Sloatsburg which may be remembered more by the chats among friends and neighbors than selling antiques! On one of the many trips to Jupiter Florida to visit his mother, they found Pumpkin, a 34' American Tug and decided she would become the next adventure. In 2009 Henry and Edith piloted through the ICW (Intercoastal Waterway) taking three months, navigating both shallow and deep waters. After 1900 nautical miles they reached their home berth in New York on the Hudson River. It was a trip of a lifetime, and they made it together. After meeting friends for a weekend in St. Michaels in 2015, Henry and Edith fell in love with the Chesapeake Bay and found another historic property in need of attention. They contacted the realtor before leaving town at the astonishment of their friends. Just recently Henry and Edith opened The Old Sherwood Store, realizing Henry's dream of having a nautical antique store and chandlery. Upstairs he added a music studio where he enjoyed playing his guitars and singing with friends. Music was Henry's greatest suave, and his spirit was a tune with its melodies and harmonies. A celebration of Henry's life will be held September 10, 2022 from 5 - 9 at Lowe's Wharf Inn & Marina in Sherwood. Friends are encouraged to bring musical instruments, songs, and stories to share. Those wishing to make donations in his memory please consider the Tilghman Area Youth Association, the Tilghman Island Volunteer Fire Department or Ladies Auxiliary, or a charity of your choice. Funeral Arrangements by Frampton Funeral Home-Ostrowski Chapel of St. Michaels.

J. Henry Knoblick, Jr.

November 11, 1949 - August 22, 2022