A Life in Search of a Category

Mr. Siegel’s widely varied and lengthy life was difficult to confine to a single, even overarching, category. Born in Baltimore on Dec. 7, 1912, he was the youngest of 8 children. For that reason, Mr. Siegel sometimes was known as Henry VIII. It was easy enough for friends and family to recall that Mr. Siegel served with the U.S. Navy. But when younger persons or new friends would ask Mr. Siegel what he did for a living before retiring many years ago, he was not certain how to respond. By the family’s count, he held more than 40 different jobs. A man of diverse interests, Mr. Siegel’s twin passions were peace and social justice. Mrs. Siegel described her husband as “a loving and devoted father.” His nimble mind and his roaming, rubbery imagination combined to teach him how to build creative playthings for his children and grandchildren. Mrs. Siegel said that her husband’s ingenuity “enabled him to fix just about anything.” He was self-educated. He was an avid reader. He developed a twinkling sense of humor. Mrs. Siegel would say that “Henry had the right word for every occasion.” He enjoyed the outdoors with his family — hiking, camping and water sports. Most of all, Mr. Siegel’s widow remembers that “he had a joyful and a positive perspective on life.”

Postscript

In addition to his widow Adele, Mr. Siegel is survived by his 4 children, Sandy Siegel, Roberta Osgood, Irene Siegel and Lenny Siegel, 8 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren, with a third on the way.